KATY, Texas – The
Gonzaga women's basketball team had three
Zags score in double figures to defeat Alabama, 68-58, in the second game of the Betty Chancellor Classic.
Yvonne Ejim scored her third game with at least 20 points so far this season and had a team-high 23 points with eight rebounds.
Brynna Maxwell recorded 15 points as
Kayleigh Truong contributed 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
The
Zags (6-1) opened the game with a 13-0 run against the Tide (6-1) to take a 23-11 lead at the end of the first. Both
Ejim and
Kayleigh Truong scored five points as the Bulldogs shot at 53.3 percent and scored four three-pointers in the opening 10 minutes. Defensively, GU held Alabama to 26.7 shooting percentage and forced two turnovers.
Gonzaga held Alabama to its lowest scoring effort in a first half this year with a commanding 43-21 lead.
Kayleigh Truong and Maxwell both had 10 points at the half as seven different
Zags scored. Alabama was held to one three-pointer and shot at nine percent from beyond the arc and 29.6 percent overall.
The Tide outscored the
Zags in the third by one point, 16-15. Ejim scored 10 and grabbed two rebounds to help maintain the double-digit lead for Gonzaga, 58-37. The Bulldogs scored another 10 points in the final quarter to secure the win.
Overall, GU
outrebounded the Tide, 35-31, with
Ejim and
Calli Stokes both grabbing eight rebounds. The
Zags shot at 48.3 percent and held Alabama to 35.8 percent. The Tide's 58 points also marked a season low in scoring for Alabama.
Records: Entering the game, Alabama was seventh in the country in scoring defense and usually only allows 47.7 points per game. Gonzaga's 68 points was the second-most scored against the Tide this season.
This was the first game against Alabama in program history for
Gonzaga women's basketball. The Bulldogs are now 2-1 against SEC schools in the last two seasons.
Up Next: Gonzaga closes out the Betty Chancellor Classic tomorrow against No. 20 Louisville at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Time. Live stats can be found at GoZags.com while the game is streamed on ESPN+.
