PORTLAND, Ore. — Jill Barta had her quietest game of the season, but her teammates picked up the slack to help Gonzaga to a 70-56 win over Portland in West Coast Conference women’s basketball action on Thursday.
Barta, the former Fairfield High School star, finished with a season-low four points and didn’t make a field goal. All four of Barta’s points came from the free throw line. She added five rebounds in just 20 minutes of action.
Zykera Rice led the Bulldogs with 14 points, and Chandler Smith added 11. As a team, Gonzaga shot just 34.9 percent for the game, but the Bulldogs out-rebounded Portland 46-29, including a 23-7 edge on the offensive glass. Gonzaga forced the Pilots into 20 turnovers, resulting in 23 Bulldog points.
Gonzaga improves to 5-0 in conference play and 12-4 overall. The Bulldogs return home to host San Francisco at 3 p.m. (MT) Saturday.
