Townsend helps No. 18 Gonzaga women top Santa Clara 78-61
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Jill Townsend scored 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range and Chandler Smith had a double-double to help No. 18 Gonzaga pull away from Santa Clara on Saturday for a 78-61 win.
Zykera Rice led the Bulldogs (19-2, 8-1 West Coast Conference), who have won five-straight, with 18 points. Her game typified the day for Gonzaga as Rice went 5 of 16 from the field and 8 of 9 from the foul line. Smith had 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Zags, who shot better than 55 percent their previous two games, shot less than 40 percent in this one. But making 9 of 18 in the fourth quarter, they pulled away. Prior to the last quarter Gonzaga was 21 of 23 from the foul line.
The Bulldogs had five players in double figures and Katie Campbell with nine. Campbell, who was fourth in the nation shooting 44 of 88 from long range, ran her streak to 19 games with a trey but was just 1 of 6.
San Clara made 5 of 10 3-pointers in the second quarter and only trailed 36-33 at the half but the Broncos finished 7 of 23 from distance and were 4 of 5 from the foul line.
Charise Holloway made 4 of 5 3-pointers and scored 16 points for Santa Clara and Tia Hay added 15 but only made 1 of 7 from distance.
Gonzaga's senior point guard Laura Stockton returned after missing one game with a shoulder problem and missed her only two shots but had four assists in 22 minutes. The Zags had 20 assists on 25 baskets.
