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PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland senior ReZina TecleMariam hit five three-pointers and finished with 21 points, but the No. 24 Gonzaga Bulldogs prevailed 80-65 over the Pilots in the West Coast Conference opener played on Thursday night at the Chiles Center. The Bulldogs led by 11 at the break and scored 40 points during each half en route to the win.
The Pilots (7-8, 0-1 WCC) were in it early as their shots were falling. Down 17-14 nine minutes in, UP sophomore Alexis Byrd hit a lay-up while getting fouled. She’d convert the traditional three-point play to tie the score at 17-17.
Gonzaga (11-2, 1-0 WCC) then reclaimed the lead, but Portland remained within reach for much of the first half. A jumper from Byrd with 6:42 left in the stanza pulled the Pilots within 29-24. GU would then end the half on a mini run to take a 40-29 lead into the locker room.
Portland briefly climbed within nine coming out of the break when Natalie Day opened the half by hitting a jumper on a feed from TecleMariam. GU would push the lead back into double figures and eventually claimed an 18-point lead with 14:35 left to play.
The lead would stretch to 23 before TecleMariam started knocking down shots from the outside. But the Pilots would get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
The Pilots shot 50 percent in the second half, but just 42.1 percent for the game. UP finished with nine three’s and went eight of 14 at the free throw line. The Bulldogs shot better than 50 percent the entire night and finished at 51.8 percent. The Bulldogs hit six from beyond the three-point arc and were 16-for-18 from the line.
Both teams were hurt by turnovers, Portland had 28 and GU finished with 25, but the Bulldogs were able to capitalize and claimed a 32-19 advantage in points off of those turnovers. Rebounds weren’t much of a factor as the Bulldogs held a slim 32-31 edge.
Gonzaga had two 20-point scorers in Kayla Standish and Haiden Palmer, while Taelor Karr chipped in with 11.
The 21 points are a season high for TecleMariam. Day added 17 points and eight rebounds, while Byrd finished with 13 points.
The Pilots next welcome conference newcomer Brigham Young to the Chiles Center for a 2 p.m. game on Monday afternoon. The Cougars are set to play their first WCC game ever at Saint Mary’s on Saturday.
