by Gonzaga Athletics Media Relations
STANFORD, Calif. – The Gonzaga University women’s basketball team dropped a 73-45 decision at No. 4/6 Stanford University Saturday afternoon. The No. 22/23 Bulldogs had their six-game winning streak snapped and fell to 8-2 on the year. The Cardinal, who were playing for the first time since Nov. 28, improved their overall mark to 8-1.
Junior forward Sunny Greinacher closed out the game tying her season-high of 18 points. She hit 9-of-16 from the field and added six boards and four blocks. No other Zag cracked double-figures but eight total players scored. Sophomore Kiara Kudron was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and hit one of two free throws for nine points.
A quick start by Stanford All-American Chiney Ogwumike - who scored eight of the home team’s first 13 points – had the Cardinal leading Gonzaga 13-8 with 13:04 left in the first stanza. Ogwumike was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the opening seven minutes.
Ogwumike’s fourth bucket of the contest was part of a 12-0 run that turned a tight one-point contest between the national ranked teams into a 13-point advantage at 11:17.
Gonzaga slowly chipped away at Stanford’s lead, getting the Cardinal edge down to eight at 25-17 with a little less than seven minutes remaining before halftime. Greinacher was crucial for the Bulldogs in the stretch, scoring six points.
Unfortunately, the Zags went cold down in the final minutes of the half, sinking just 1-of-9 field goals.
Stanford’s Amber Orrange scored seven of the Cardinal’s final 10 points to allow them to go into the halftime up 33-19 on the Bulldogs.
Ogwumike was held to just eight points in the opening half, getting off only five more shots in the final 13 minutes of play – which she missed.
Greinacher ended the first 20 minutes with game-leading eight points. The Zags struggled from the field, hitting just 28.1 percent of their shots (9-of-32). They did force the Cardinal to turn the ball over eight times, and scored eight points off the miscues.
The Bulldogs started the second half strong and, with layups by Greinahcer and a jumper by senior Haiden Palmer, they had the Cardinal lead to 12 points with the opportunity to cut it to single digits.
Palmer and Greinacher each drew a foul and went to the free throw line for two but each missed both and the chance to keep the momentum on their side.
Ogwumike came to life after the free throw misses by the Zags, scoring seven of the Cardinal’s next 12 points. The spurt by Stanford had it holding an 18 point advantage at 47-29 with 14:50 remaining in the contest.
Two minutes later Stanford’s lead ballooned above 20 points –where it would stay. The Cardinal’s largest lead was 29 at 73-44.
Gonzaga finished the game shooting 34.4 percent (21-of-61) from the field and was just 25.0 percent (3-of-12) from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs went 0-for-14 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Ogwumike lead all scores with 19 points, hitting 8-of-16 from the field. Kailee Johnson added 11 points and Amber Orrange had 10. Stanford ended the game shooting 45.0 percent (27-of-60) from the floor.
The Bulldogs are back in action Monday when they welcome UC Riverside to the McCarthey Athletic Center. The game, which is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day, is set to tip at 6 p.m.
