Nov. 2—College basketball exhibition games are generally nothing more than an opportunity for players to put the uniform on for the first time without the weight of an outcome.
For the Gonzaga women, Sunday afternoon was a chance to see what they had against an opponent other than themselves.
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Sure the Bulldogs had a closed scrimmage two weeks ago against a talented UNLV team and certainly learned much. But closed scrimmages lack atmosphere and many times aren’t necessarily true game situations.
After a month of practices, Gonzaga had to like what it saw in a runaway 91-31 victory over Carroll College of Helena.
The Saints, ranked 16th in the NAIA poll, were decisively taken apart by the Bulldogs before 4,785 at McCarthey Athletic Center.
The biggest question going into the exhibition was who would start for the Zags, who returned just one starter in sophomore guard Allie Turner. She was joined for the tip by redshirt freshman forward Lauren Whittaker, senior guard Ines Bettencourt and a pair of junior transfers, forward Taylor Smith and Zeryhia Aokuso.
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All 13 Gonzaga players had seen playing time by the 5:39 mark of the second quarter. Coach Lisa Fortier is blessed with a deep bench, but there aren’t enough game minutes for 13 players to see consistent playing time.
The eight players who came off the bench Sunday will battle for the remaining minutes .
“No one has really separated themselves too much yet in practice,” Fortier said. “The group that started is most versatile. They bring scoring, defending and rebounding. After that we have some great defenders, we have some great shooters…and some people who will run the floor. Until the next wave of players really kind of decides themselves in practice and someone earns something, then it’s going to be kind of a day-by-day situation.”
There was much to like Sunday for Fortier, who is entering her 12th season as head coach and is 11 wins away from 300.
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The Zags broke from a 12-12 tie late in the first quarter, using a 21-0 run to turn the game into a rout. They closed the first half on a 17-0 surge and a 50-16 lead at intermission.
The run extended to 27-0 early in the third quarter. By quarter’s end, Gonzaga led 74-24.
The final margin equaled the largest lead.
Gonzaga was active defensively, causing 21 of Carroll’s 23 turnovers. The Zags got out into transition more than they did at anytime a year ago and they’re going to be solid shooters. At the free-throw line alone, the Bulldogs made 20 straight and finished 37 of 43 (86%).
The Zags scored 30 points in transition.
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Turner, who led the Bulldogs in minutes played as a true freshman, played just 24 minutes but was effective as she was often last season. She finished with 19 points and three assists and made 9 of 10 free throws.
“We played really well as a team,” Turner said. “There’s a lot to like from today.”
Smith had an incredible debut. A 6-foot-2 transfer from Weber State, she scored a team-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
“It was fun to play against besides ourselves in practice,” Smith said.
“Just being in front of the crowd and playing with my teammates and just making good reads and executing our stuff on offense. It was really fun.”
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Whittaker muscled her way to 12 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes.
Gonzaga hits the road for its season opener Friday at North Dakota State. The trip includes a stop Sunday at Toledo before the Zags make their official home debut Nov. 13 against Colorado State.
