No. 25 Gonzaga tops Portland 72-61 for WCC title

Feb 22, 2014, 07:17 pm

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Haiden Palmer scored 12 points as No. 25 Gonzaga ground out a 72-61 win over Portland on Saturday, assuring the Bulldogs of a share of their 10th-straight West Coast Conference title.

Twelve different Bulldogs scored as they won the game with rebounding and defense. Gonzaga (24-4, 13-2) had a 42-26 rebounding advantage, including 21-2 on the offensive end, good for 27 more shots, and forced 19 turnovers.

Cassandra Brown came off the bench to lead Portland (14-13, 7-9) with 16 points, hitting all four of her 3-pointers. Jasmine Wooten added 13 with 7 assists but she had 7 turnovers.

It was a far cry from the first meeting, won by Gonzaga 56-24. The Bulldogs had a late surge to take a 31-21 lead at the half and quickly bumped it up to 16 but couldn't shake Portland. The Pilots shot 61 percent in the second half, 51 for the game.