Lady Zags Host Montana in Regular-Season Home Opener Wednesday at 6pm

[TerpZag]

Zags Host Montana in Regular-Season Home Opener Wednesday

Marks second-straight season the Bulldogs have faced the Griz


Gonzaga (0-0) vs. Montana (0-0)
NOV. 7 | 6 P.M. | SPOKANE | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER

TV: SWX
RADIO: KJRB 790 AM
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS


INSIDE THE SERIES:

Overall: 31st meeting (Montana leads 17-13)
In Spokane: 8-7 | In Missoula: 5-10| Neutral: 0-0
Current Streak: Gonzaga, won 6
Last Meeting: Nov. 18, 2018; Gonzaga won 70-55 in Missoula.
Series Notes: Gonzaga and Montana meet for the 31st time in program history and the second-straight season. The two programs met annually from 1987-2012 but took a brief hiatus from 2013-17. Montana dominated the series early, winning 10-straight contests to open the series from 1981-93. The Bulldogs have won eight of the last 10 meetings including the last six. In the last six matchups, Gonzaga has defeated the Griz by an average of 16.3 points per game with their largest margin of victory coming in 2010 with a 75-48 win in Spokane. In the last meeting, three Bulldogs finished in double-figures, led by Jill Barta with 23 points while Chandler Smith and Laura Stockton added 16 and 11, respectively.


SCOUTING THE GRIZ:

- Montana returns six letter winners and four starters from last season's squad that finished 14-17 overall with a 9-9 mark in Big Sky play, good for a tie for seventh.
- Last season, Montana averaged 64.1 points per game shooting 39.8 percent from the floor including 27.5 percent from long range. The Griz averaged 39.5 rebounds per contest with a +5.0 rebounding margin in addition to 2.8 blocked shots per game. As a team, the Griz dished out an average of 13.8 assists per game to go along with 5.7 steals while forcing 12.8 turnovers per game.
- Returning junior guard McKenzie Johnston led the Griz is scoring at 12.5 points per game; Montana loses 10.5 points per game with the departure of Caitlin Lonegran. Johnston was named Honorable Mention All-Big Sky for her efforts.
- This season, the Griz were picked to finish fifth in the Big Sky coaches' poll and seventh in the Big Sky media poll released in mid-October.
- Montana also faced Carroll College in its lone exhibition contest of the year, defeating the Saints 71-56 in Missoula on Oct. 30. Three players finished in double-figures for the Griz led by Johnston with 14 points; Jace Henderson chipped in 12 while Gabi Harrington added 10. Henderson also corralled 13 boards for the Griz for the only double-double of the game. As a team, Montana shot 43.9 percent from the## floor and 26.7 percent from long range while limiting Carroll to 31.8 percent shooting.


HOME OPENERS: A LOOK BACK

- The Zags are 27-5 all-time in regular-season home openers and have won the last 13.
- The Bulldogs last loss in a home opener was in 2003, a 73-57 loss to Oregon. The Zags have never lost a home opener inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Zags have never faced Montana in their regular-season home opener.


EXHIBITION EXCITEMENT

After over four weeks of practice facing just each other, the Bulldogs finally had a chance to stretch their legs against an opponent other than themselves in an actual game environment. In front of 5,370 strong, the Bulldogs rolled Carroll 86-43 on Nov. 2 in the McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga shot 55.7 percent from the floor and a staggering 46.7 percent from long range while scoring nearly at will inside with a 32-18 advantage in the paint. The Zags were relentless on defense, forcing 21 turnovers with 13 steals for a 35-9 advantage in points off turnovers. Five Zags finished in double-figures led by Chandler Smith's 23. Katie Campbell finished with 13, Jill Townsend added 12 and Zykera Rice chipped in 11. Freshman Melody Kempton nearly finished with a double-double in her first appearance as a Zag as she finished with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds, five of which were offensive.

Gonzaga Article Link

[pony]

Game on streaming internet.

Gonzaga Article Link

Looks like the game will be televised somewhere somehow, can't make the game tonight but hope to catch it on line.

[ZagDad84]

For those local fans who cannot attend the game tonight, the game is televised on SWX and broadcast on KJRB 790 radio.

Set your DVR's for 6 PM.

ZagDad

[TerpZag]

At the half, the Lady Zags lead Montana 42 - 17...Jill Townsend leads Gonzaga with 12 points...Katie Campbell follows with 10 points...

[Virginia Zags Fan]

Girls played very well in the first half. Strong start in the second.

[TerpZag]

After 3 quarters, Lady Zags lead 62 - 38...

[TerpZag]

Gonzaga defeats Montana 76 - 52...

[Virginia Zags Fan]

Final. Campbell is the player of the game. The ladies dominated pretty much start to finish.

[TerpZag]

Gonzaga 76 - Montana 52 Box Score

[sylean]

LF had 5 points....a lay in and FT plus that nice little drive to the basket...she needs more minutes....only 11 minutes this week, while only Gillian had fewer...3 minutes...

some of the men Gu players were at the game....

the Griz played well and got way way too many points in the 2nd half due to our defensive lapses.

overall good marks however.......

onto EWU.....

[TerpZag]

Gonzaga depth leads to blowout victory over Montana in women’s basketball season opener


The turning point Wednesday night at the Kennel came when Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier turned to her bench.

It happened just 3 minutes into the game – Fortier’s confidence was that high – and GU’s depth took it from there in a 76-52 nonconference women’s basketball romp over Montana in the season opener for both teams.

“It was no surprise at all,” Fortier said. “I think every coach has a level of uncertainty, not being exactly sure of what the rotation is going to look like, but they’ve been very consistent.”

The halftime stat sheet said it all: GU led 42-17 thanks to 27 bench points.

Montana had two.

Quality depth is nice to have, and GU has plenty this year. Fortier was already into her bench when the game began thanks to a finger injury that sidelined starting forward Jenn Wirth and pushed twin sister LeeAnne into the starting lineup.

Three minutes in, the Zags had missed four of their first five shots and trailed 5-2. But the starters did their bit too, as Laura Stockton hit a short jumper and Zykera Rice made an emphatic block that set the tone for a big defensive night.

Enter Katie Campbell, who’ll be counted on this season from 3-point range. Five seconds after entering the game, she delivered a 3-pointer that gave GU the lead for good.

By the end of the night, Campbell also had delivered her best game as a Zag, with 13 points and four steals. She also went 3 for 4 from long range, wrecking Montana’s zone along with any upset hopes.

“People get pretty excited when she catches the ball,” Fortier said of Campbell.

At the same time, sophomore Jill Townsend delivered a team-high 14 points and six rebounds in perhaps her best overall collegiate game.

“Katie’s been knocking down shots all year, and Townsie is playing very confident right now,” Fortier said.

Campbell found her groove in the middle of the first half. After Chandler Smith made a pair of jumpers, Campbell tossed in another 3 to make it 20-11.

Moments later, Jessie Loera found Louise Forsyth with a behind-the-back pass and Townsend drained her first 3-pointer to give GU a 31-15 lead.

Campbell capped with half with a two more buckets, the last coming off a steal to give GU a 25-point lead at the break.

“Your teammates, you just need to know what they need,” Campbell said. “It could be a stop, a score, an assist or even a high-five. But those guys really boost my confidence.”

The lead grew to as many as 30 late in the third quarter. Montana never got closer than 22 in the fourth.

Montana was held to 35-percent shooting (21 for 60) and made just eight field goals in the first half. GU forced 21 turnovers, including 15 in the first half.

“Twenty-one, that’s a great number,” Fortier said. “And a lot of those were live-ball turnovers, which led to points.”

While Fortier had hoped for more consistency on the glass, the Zags still won the rebounding battle 42-34 while holding the Griz to nine offensive boards.

Rice had 11 points and a game-high nine boards. Stockton added 13 points and four assists while going 5 for 6 from the field.

Montana’s McKenzie Johnston had a game-high 17 points.

The game was the first of three straight against teams from the Big Sky Conference.

GU’s next contest is Sunday at Eastern Washington, which beat Simon Fraser 72-66 in an exhibition game on Sunday. The Zags are back home on Tuesday night against Idaho State.

Spokesman Review Article Link

[TerpZag]

WBB Cruises Past Montana in Home Opener

Four Zags finish in double-figures


Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Gonzaga women's basketball team opened the 2018-19 season in style with a 76-52 win over visiting Montana Wednesday evening at the McCarthey Athletic Center. It marks the 14th-straight home-opening win for the Zags, dating back to 2004.

The Zags made 44.9 percent of their shots from the field, while limiting Montana to 35.0 percent. The Bulldogs was 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) from long range while the Griz were 2-for-15 (13.3 percent).

Four Bulldogs finished in double-figures led by Jill Townsend's career-high 14 points. The sophomore was 5-of-12 from the floor including 2-of-3 from beyond-the-arc and was a perfect 2-for-2 from the line. Katie Campbell also posted a career-high with 13 points to go along with a team-high four steals. Laura Stockton and Zykera Rice added 13 and 11, respectively.

Gonzaga (1-0) was dominate inside with a 40-28 edge inside the paint while controlling the boards 42-34. The Zags forced 21 turnovers on Montana (0-1) while collecting 14 steals, and the Bulldogs' bench made a huge impact, outscoring Montana's bench 36-7.

"21 is a great number to have on turnovers forced," head women's basketball coach Lisa Fortier said. "A lot of them were live-ball turnovers which led to baskets and fouls for us, so we were able to get to the free throw line. I really like how they are getting after it."

The Bulldogs gained a 12-point lead (23-11) by the end of the first quarter and extended their lead to 25 (42-17) by the end of the first half. GU limited the Griz to just six second-quarter points behind a strong defensive effort with six steals and turnovers forced.

The Zags opened the third on an 11-4 run to reach their largest lead of the game at 32 (53-21) following a jumper from Chandler Smith at the 6:36 mark of the third quarter. Gonzaga cruised in the fourth for the 76-52 win.

McKenzie Johnston paced Montana with 17 points and seven assists. Jace Henderson led the Griz with a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs continue play on the road Sunday, Nov. 11 with a 2 p.m. tipoff at Eastern Washington in Cheney, Wash.

Gonzaga Article Link

[ZAGS ATTACK BASKET]

Impressed by Katie Campbell's two pick pockets and layups off them. Katie (Mighty Mouse) really has stepped up her defense from last year and her whole game seems to have improved. And she also has new found confidence.

Zykera Rice still has hops to get those rebounds and she is a presence. Melody Kempton runs the court well and not afraid to bang with the big girls.

Shout out to Jill Townsend who looked confident and highly motivated.

Chandler Smith and Laura Stockton were both great. Congrats to the Lady Zags on their first win of the season!

[sylean]

they could have given the POG to Jill T since she had more points, but I think KC deserved it if only on those two steals she made.....glad for her......

[ZagDad84]

Here is a link to a photo gallery from tonight's game.

Photo Link: https://gozags.com/galleries/?gallery=689

ZagDad