MALIBU, Calif. – In Gonzaga's second-straight road game to California,
Claire O'Connor and
Yvonne Ejim combined for 49 points to lead Gonzaga to the 81-53 victory.
Ejim led the Zags with 29 points and 12 rebounds to record her eighth double double of the season. O'Connor scored a career-high 20 points to contribute to the double-digit win. Ines Bettencourt was the other player in double figures with 10 points as well.
At the end of the first half, GU held a 36-27 lead over the Waves. O'Connor paced the Zags with 13 points after going 5-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. Ejim nearly reached a double double in the opening half after scoring 11 points and grabbing seven rebounds.
Gonzaga outrebounded Pepperdine, 21-15, as Ejim grabbed the most. The Bulldogs also dished out 10 assists on 13 baskets. Defensively, GU held Pepperdine to 37.9% shooting performance while the Zags shot 43.3%, including six three-pointers.
In the second half, the Zags shot 48.7% from the field as Ejim scored 18 points. Bettencourt scored all 10 of her points in the second half as she went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Esther Little grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in the last two quarters as GU outrebounded Pepperdine, 27-13.
Overall, Gonzaga shot 46.4% from the floor and scored 10 three-pointers. The Zags held the Waves to 35.7% and forced 11 turnovers on the day. Gonzaga also won the rebounding battle by a convincing margin, 48-28. Seven Zags dished out assists on the day with the team recording 18 overall.
Notes:
- Ejim has scored double digits in 63-straight games. She has now scored 2,103 points in her career. She needs 63 more points to become first all-time, ahead of Heather Bowman's 2,165 (2006-10).
- O'Connor scored a career-high 20 points, breaking her previous best of 19.
- With 12 rebounds today, Ejim is only three more away from reaching 1,000 rebounds. She will become the first player in Gonzaga and WCC history to reach 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Up Next:
Gonzaga returns home to host San Diego on Thursday, Jan. 30. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. and live stats can be found at GoZags.com while the game is streamed on ESPN+.
