Feb. 25, 2010
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - No. 19 Gonzaga scored the first 13 points and cruised to an 83-52 victory over Santa Clara Thursday night at the Leavey Center. The win assured GU of its fifth regular season WCC Championship in six years.
Gonzaga (24-3; 13-0 WCC) started out hot from the field, making a flurry of first-half 3s and 16 of its first 22 shots. The Zags shot 72. 4 percent in the first half and would lead 51-17 at the break.
Vivian Frieson - an All-WCC First Team forward as a junior last year - scored 16 of her 22 points in the opening period, sinking 7-of-9 shots in the first 20 minutes. The reigning WCC Player of the Year Courtney Vandersloot finished with 12 points and Kayla Standish added 11.
Santa Clara (3-25; 1-12 WCC) is playing its final three games of the regular season without starting guard Meagan Fulps - the league's top scoring freshman. It was the second ranked opponent SCU has faced this year, falling to then-No. 19 West Virginia in Morgantown, 78-55.
The Broncos played decisively better in the second half, scoring the first seven points following the intermission. SCU sophomore Alyssa Shoji made a team-high five field goals and scored 12. Telisha Anderson posted a career-high in scoring with eight.
Santa Clara's three final-year players Kimee Geoggel, Maggie Goldenberger and Rhianna Faithfull will play in their final home game when SCU wraps up the regular season Saturday afternoon against Portland.