GU Women trounce regional rival Idaho
The Gonzaga University women’s basketball team put together a spectacular performance Thursday evening defeating the University of Idaho 97-62 in front of 5,370 Bulldog faithful at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The lopsided victory, which saw all 14 players score, was a perfect way to head into the holiday break and to rebound from a tough loss to Ohio State University Monday.
“We were very balanced tonight,” explained Gonzaga head coach Kelly Graves after the game. “These are great games. Everybody got in and everybody contributed. I thought we really played well tonight, no question about it. Idaho is a good team and offensively we were as good as I think we can possibly be.”
It was junior Jazmine Redmon that shined the brightest Thursday, collecting multiple career-highs. The guard from Spokane, Wash., dished out a career-high 11 assists – eight in the first 20 minutes – to go along with a career-tying high five steals. She also scored eight points and had four rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
The modest player credited her players with the stellar performance.
“My teammates were just making their shots, so I kept getting it to them,” explained Redmon whose previous career-high in assists was seven, secured four different times. “The team was just feeling the shots and I knew if I got them the ball they would get the two or a three.”
That her teammates did. The Zags finished the contest hitting 40-of-74 from the field for a season-high 54.1 percent shooting.
Better than the field goal accuracy was the Bulldogs were credited with 31 assists on the 40 made baskets. The 31 assists tied the second-highest single-game assist output in school history and was just two shy of tying the record set in 1988.
“We had 31 assists tonight and that is terrific,” stated Graves. “When the shots are falling and we are sharing the ball we are playing the right way and it is good basketball.”
Thirteen of the 14 Bulldogs earned an assist. Sophomore Maiki Viela doled out a career-high five assists in 10 minutes of play, while senior Taelor Karr was credited with four.
Offensively, four players scored in double-figures. Gonzaga was led by both sophomore Sunny Greinacher and junior Stephanie Golden with 12 points apiece. Redshirt freshman Shelby Cheslek chipped in a career-high 10 points, while junior Haiden Palmer also had 10.
It was Greinacher, Cheslek and Golden that paced the Zags to their 48-26 halftime advantage over the Vandals. Each post tallied eight points in the opening 20 minutes and combined to shoot 12-of-19 from the floor.
Gonzaga had 13 players score in the second half and was led by sophomore Danielle Walters’ nine points on three 3-pointers.
The Bulldogs largest lead of the contest came on Walters second 3-pointer of the night which put the score at 88-44 with 6:45 left in the game.
The 35-point victory improved GU’s record to 10-3 on the year, while the setback dropped Idaho to 3-8 overall.
Gonzaga now gets to enjoy the holidays with family and friends and returns to action Saturday, Dec. 29 when it hosts Washington State University at 2 p.m.
Newspaper Box Score
IDAHO VANDALS vs GONZAGA BULLDOGS
12/20/12 6:00 pm at McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER – SPOKANE, WA
At McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER – SPOKANE, WA
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 97, IDAHO VANDALS 62
IDAHO VANDALS (3-8)
Charlston, Alyssa 7-12 4-6 21; Karr, Krissy 2-3 0-0 6; Ballestero, Connie
3-9 0-0 6; Forde, Ali 2-5 2-3 6; Graham, Jessica 3-6 0-0 6; Weiss, Janelle
1-5 2-3 5; Barr, Stacey 2-10 0-0 4; Schivo, Addie 1-2 0-0 3; Salvatore,
Christina 0-10 3-4 3; Austgulen, Maren 1-3 0-0 2; Overgaard, Ana 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 22-65 11-16 62.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS (10-3)
GOLDEN, Stephanie 6-9 0-0 12; GREINACHER, Sunny 6-7 0-0 12; CHESLEK, Shelby
5-8 0-0 10; PALMER, Haiden 5-9 0-0 10; WALTER, Danielle 3-3 0-0 9; REDMON,
Jazmine 3-5 1-2 8; ALBANEZ, Keani 3-9 1-1 8; KARR, Taelor 3-4 0-0 8; TINKLE,
Elle 2-3 1-1 5; KUDRON, Kiara 2-4 0-0 5; NILLES, Shaniqua 0-2 3-4 3;
WINTERS, Meghan 1-2 0-0 3; WATERS, Chelsea 1-6 1-2 3; VIELA, Maiki 0-3 1-2
1. Totals 40-74 8-12 97.
IDAHO VANDALS…………….. 26 36 – 62
GONZAGA BULLDOGS………….. 48 49 – 97
3-point goals–IDAHO VANDALS 7-26 (Charlston, Alyssa 3-4; Karr, Krissy 2-2;
Weiss, Janelle 1-4; Schivo, Addie 1-2; Barr, Stacey 0-3; Salvatore,
Christina 0-6; Austgulen, Maren 0-2; Graham, Jessica 0-1; Ballestero, Connie
0-2), GONZAGA BULLDOGS 9-18 (WALTER, Danielle 3-3; KARR, Taelor 2-3; KUDRON,
Kiara 1-1; ALBANEZ, Keani 1-4; REDMON, Jazmine 1-2; WINTERS, Meghan 1-2;
VIELA, Maiki 0-1; NILLES, Shaniqua 0-1; PALMER, Haiden 0-1). Fouled
out–IDAHO VANDALS-None, GONZAGA BULLDOGS-None. Rebounds–IDAHO VANDALS 40
(Graham, Jessica 7), GONZAGA BULLDOGS 43 (GOLDEN, Stephanie 6).
Assists–IDAHO VANDALS 10 (Forde, Ali 3), GONZAGA BULLDOGS 31 (REDMON,
Jazmine 11). Total fouls–IDAHO VANDALS 12, GONZAGA BULLDOGS 14. Technical
fouls–IDAHO VANDALS-None, GONZAGA BULLDOGS-None. A-5370
