SPOKANE, Wash. – With a game that had 12 lead changes, the Gonzaga women's basketball team came out on top over a gritty Rice team, 72-69, in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Claire O'Connor had a career night with her first double double as a Zag with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Yvonne Ejim also recorded her third career double double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Allie Turner rounded out the double figure scoring for GU with 12 points.
The Zags (3-2) outscored the Owls (4-2) in the first quarter, 21-16. O'Connor scored a team-high eight points in the frame after going 3-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Gonzaga shot 53.3% and held Rice to 41.2%.
Ejim made a last-second jumper to secure the halftime lead for GU, 31-30. Rice outscored Gonzaga in the second, 14-10, with Hailey Adams scoring six.
At the half, Gonzaga was winning the rebound battle, 22-17, with Ejim grabbing five. O'Connor led the team in scoring and rebounding with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Allie Turner made a clutch three to take the lead late in the third, 49-48. The Owls responded with another jumper and a couple free throws to regain the lead, 52-50, at the end of the third quarter.
In another quarter that saw multiple lead changes, the Zags tied the game with a three pointer from
Maud Huijbens with just under six minutes left. The score shifted the momentum to the Zags as GU went on to have their best quarter of the game by shooting at 58.3% and holding Rice to only 30%.
Overall, GU outrebounded the Owls, 41-37. The Zags made 10 threes on the night and only allowed four from Rice.
Records:
Yvonne Ejim has recorded 28 double doubles in her career and has scored double digits in 47-straight games. She now has scored 1,750 points at Gonzaga.
Both
Allie Turner and
Claire O'Connor have made a three-pointer in every game this season.
O'Connor's night was her career-high in both rebounds (10) and points (19).
Ejim has moved into fourth all-time in rebounds with 863. She will move into third of all-time with 11 more rebounds.
Up Next: Gonzaga heads to New Mexico to play the Lobos on Sunday, Nov. 24, at Noon. Live stats can be found at GoZags.com and the game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network. The Zags will then travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands to play in the Paradise Jam.
