Gonzaga’s Defense Sets the Pace in Win Over Montana State, 70-55

An efficient night from Jill Townsend on the floor helped the Gonzaga Bulldogs overcome a turnover-prone evening on the road against the Montana State Bobcats, 70-55.

Townsend finished with 16 points and six rebounds, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor. Her offense is what kept the Zags in it during the initial first quarter, and helped boost them into the lead as the second quarter crept on.

As is the case this season, the Bulldogs’ defense was the star of the show. Gonzaga held Montana State to 37.5 percent shooting. The Bobcats couldn’t help themselves from outside, finishing the evening 0-of-13 from three point range. Gonzaga was furious on the defensive end, playing out every half court set and seemingly existing at all places on the court at once. This translated to 19 turnovers for the Bobcats, leading to 24 Gonzaga points.

Thankfully, Gonzaga’s offense did not struggle like Montana State’s did, because the Zags turned the ball over 21 times. The Zags finished with 11 first half turnovers, which largely allowed Montana State stay in the game a bit longer than they probably should have. A couple of timely threes by Katie Campbell (11 points) helped silence any Bobcat runs, and the Zags pulled away for the relatively easy win.

The Zags next play the Washington State Cougars in Pullman, on Sunday, at 2:00 pm. WSU is currently 5-3.