MORAGA, Calif. – The Gonzaga women's basketball team led from start-to-finish in a 79-52 rout of Saint Mary's in Moraga Saturday afternoon, extending its win streak to 14 games while remaining unbeaten in WCC play.
 
Gonzaga (15-2, 10-0 WCC) finished with three players in double-figures, highlighted by the eighth double-double of the season from senior forward Jenn Wirth with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Wirth also became the 19th player in program history to eclipse 600 career rebounds and the first player since Jill Barta (2015-18). Jill Townsend added a game-high 20 points—18 of which came in the first half—off 8-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-4 from long range, while Cierra Walker chipped in 11. Kayleigh Truong reached a new career high in assists with nine, adding seven points and three steals in the win.
 
As a team, Gonzaga shot 47.7 percent from the floor and 52.9 percent from long range while limiting Saint Mary's (5-12, 3-8) to 32.1 percent shooting. Gonzaga handled the Gaels inside, claiming a 43-25 advantage on the glass with a 32-14 scoring advantage in the paint. GU forced 19 turnovers on SMC and finished with 10 steals.
 
The Zags' stifling defense set the pace for the game in the opening period, as the Bulldogs forced six turnovers on the Gaels in the first 10 minutes while limiting SMC to nine points on 20 percent shooting. Townsend led the charge offensively with five points, and Gonzaga took the 16-9 lead after the opening stanza. It marked the 10th time this season GU has held its opponent to single-digits in a quarter as well as the third time against Saint Mary's.
 
Townsend went on a tear in the second, finishing a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 from long range, accounting for 13 of Gonzaga's 24 second-quarter points. As a collective, GU shot 81.8 percent from the floor—including a perfect 4-of-4 from three. Bulldogs maintained a double-digit lead for most of the period, but six turnovers in the period prevented the Zags from extending their lead past 17 points. GU hit two treys in the final minute, one from Kaylynne Truong and another as time expired from Cierra Walker, to head into halftime with a 40-23 advantage.
 
Despite shooting 28.6 percent from the floor in the third (6-21), Gonzaga maintained a comfortable double-figure lead the entire period, extending the advantage to as many as 22 points. The Zags controlled the glass 13-9 and grabbed five offensive rebounds, which led to four second-chance points. GU's defense continued to stifle the Saint Mary's, forcing five turnovers to limit the Gaels' possessions.
 
GU held a 19-point lead entering the fourth (57-38) and put together an 11-2 run to open the fourth. With 3:27 to go, Eliza Hollingsworth connected on her first career trey to give the Zags their largest lead of the afternoon at 31 (75-44). SMC outscored GU 8-4 to close the period, giving the Zags the 79-52 victory.
 
"I'm really happy with the way our team responded," Head Coach Lisa Fortier said. "We wanted to play a more complete game, and we did that today. When we were not shooting as well, we really rebounded the ball. When we were beat on defense, we usually had someone in help-side. The transition offense got us going and made for a very fun game."
 
Saint Mary's finished with two players in double-figures, led by Madeline Holland with 15 points off 6-of-9 shooting while Taycee Wedin added 12 points. Brianna Simonich led the Gaels with nine rebounds.
 
Gonzaga returns to Spokane to host BYU Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. inside the McCarthey Athletic Center. The game is set to be broadcast locally on SWX. Check GoZags.com for up-to-date game time information.