SPOKANE, Wash. – In the regular season finale, the Gonzaga women's basketball team defeated Loyola Marymount University, 83-62, on Senior Day.
 
The Bulldogs were led by senior Cierra Walker, who went 8-for-11 from beyond the arc and scored 24 points total. The eight three-pointers were just one shy of tying the program record of nine three-pointers in a game.
 
Senior Anamaria Virjoghe was the next leading scorer with 12 points. Senior Melody Kempton had another double-figure performance with 10 points and grabbed a team-high seven boards. Redshirt sophomore Eliza Hollingsworth rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts for GU with 10 points in 15 minutes of action.
 
In the first quarter, the Zags exploded on offensive and scored 25 points, led by Walker's nine points that all came from beyond the arc. In the final five minutes of the quarter, the Zags went on an 11-0 scoring run. Overall, the Bulldogs shot at 62.5 percent from the field and at the three-point line.
 
Going into the second quarter up 25-8, the Zags kept the offense going by scoring another 24 points. Walker led the way with six of those and senior Abby O'Connor scored five.
 
Defensively, the Zags forced 10 turnovers in the first half and only allowed a 32.3 shooting percentage from the field.
 
Coming out of the locker rooms with a 49-24 lead, the Zags opened up the third quarter with a 5-0 run from a three-pointer by Walker and a lay-up by Virjoghe.
 
After scoring 13 points in the third, the Bulldogs took a 62-42 over LMU. In the final quarter, Walker scored two more three-pointers as Hollingsworth led the team with eight points. GU scored 21 points as a team and shot at 46.7 percent in the closing minutes.
 
Overall, Gonzaga shot at 49.2 percent and 46.2 from beyond the arc. The Zags also forced 14 turnovers and scored 21 points off those miscues. Another 24 points came from off the bench as 38 points were scored inside the paint. The Bulldogs also dominated the boards by outrebounding the Lions by 46-29.
 
Records: Gonzaga finishes the year at 24-6 overall and 15-2 in the conference to finish second in the WCC. LMU finished 9-18 overall and 4-13 in the WCC to place ninth overall.
 
Senior Melody Kempton has now recorded a field goal percentage of 53.9 percent in her career, which ranks first in school history going into the postseason.
 
Senior Cierra Walker scored eight three-pointers today, which was just shy of tying the school record of nine by Michele Elliott versus Sacramento State in 2007.
 
Up Next: The Zags have secured a double bye in the WCC Tournament, which takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 3-8. The Bulldogs won't play their first game until Monday, March 7. The final bracket schedule and seedings can be found later this week at GoZags.com along with Instagram and Twitter, @ZagWBB.