PORTLAND, Ore. – The No. 20/18 Gonzaga women's basketball team defeated Portland 79-61 Sunday afternoon inside the Chiles Center in the City of Roses. The Zags improved to 13-2 on the season and remain undefeated in WCC play at 8-0.
 
Gonzaga (13-2, 8-0 WCC) finished with three players in double-figures, led by a season-high tying 17 points from Kayleigh Truong. Jenn Wirth added 14 points, while Jill Townsend chipped in 11. Townsend scored her 1,000^th career point with 2:20 remaining in the second period, becoming the 24^th player in program history to reach the milestone. Townsend added a game-high six rebounds, while Jenn Wirth and Kaylynne Truong claimed game-high honors in assists with four each.
 
As a team, Gonzaga was stellar from the floor, finishing 29-of-50 to shoot 58 percent, the second highest field goal percentage of the season (GU shot 58.8 percent at Santa Clara on Jan. 14). The Bulldogs finished with 19 assists in the win and controlled the paint with a 40-32 scoring advantage. Defensively, GU limited Portland to 36.0 percent shooting—including 21.0 percent shooting from long range—while forcing 17 turnovers on the Pilots.
 
Both squads had a bit of a slow start offensively, and the game was tied 4-4 more than two-and-a-half minutes into regulation. But a trey from Kayleigh Truong at the 7:20 mark of the first quarter ignited a 14-2 Bulldog run, putting GU in front 18-6 with 2:29 remaining in the period. Portland responded, outscoring GU 11-4 to close the period, cutting the Zags' lead to five, 22-17.
 
Gonzaga was nearly perfect in the second stanza, finishing 8-of-10 from the floor for 24 total points while limiting Portland (7-6, 4-3 WCC) to eight points off 30 percent shooting. Gonzaga forced seven turnovers on the Pilots in the second period, collecting 11 points off those turnovers. With 5:50 remaining in the half, Gonzaga held a four-point lead (27-23). Over a minute later, Kaylynne Truong hit a trey that sparked a 19-2 run over the final 4:25 of the half, extending GU's lead to 21 points at the break.
 
The Bulldogs shot a combined 60.0 percent in the second half, led by a 4-of-6 showing from Jenn Wirth, good for 10 second-half points. GU held Portland to 30.3 percent shooting, including 11.1 percent from beyond-the-arc, in the second half. At the start of the fourth, GU held a 24-point lead (61-37), and the Pilots slowly chipped away, bringing the advantage to 11 points with 3:37 to go. The Zags responded, closing the game on a 10-2 run to claim the 79-61 victory.
 
"Our team played three really good quarters tonight," Head Coach Lisa Fortier said. "We relaxed a little in the fourth, and it showed. We are focused on learning every game, every practice, and this one is no different. We executed well in the half court, and got enough stops, which is definitely something to be happy with on the road."
 
Portland finished with three players in double-figures, led by Haylee Andrews with 25 points. Alex Fowler added 13, while McKelle Meek chipped in 10.
 
Gonzaga continues play on the road next week as it heads to Pacific Jan. 28 followed by Saint Mary's on Jan. 30. Visit GoZags.com for up-to-date game time information.