SPOKANE, Wash. — First place was on the line Thursday night at "The Kennel" in the McCarthey Center, home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Saint Mary's College made the trip up north to prove they belong against the 16^th-ranked team in the country. Both the Gaels and Bulldogs were the only unbeaten teams in WCC play entering the contest, and following, only the Bulldogs remain. Gonzaga took control from the beginning en route to a 74-49 victory, snapping the Gaels five-game winning streak.
 
EMPTY
 
Saint Mary's had to withstand a few runs in the first quarter that put them in an early hole, but it was the second quarter that really defined this contest. The Gaels were held without a basket in the second quarter, going 0-15 from the field and 0-8 from beyond the arc. Saint Mary's was only able to score two points on free throws in the quarter, both coming from Madeline Holland 20 seconds into the quarter.
 
FINDING A RHYTHM
 
Things improved considerably in the second half, where the Gaels outscored the Bulldogs 37-35 over the final two quarters. The offense needed a spark and found it thanks to some strong play inside that led to 20 free throw attempts, 17 of which were made. Emily Codding was shut out in the first half, but wound up with nine points and nine rebounds, while Tyra Moe added five in the second half. All ten players who found the floor for the Gaels wound up scoring, including Claire Ferguson in her return from injury.
 
TELLING NUMBERS
 
The Bulldogs won the rebound battle handily in this one, finishing +10 over the Gaels (44-34)…the Gaels turned it over 17 times, leading to 23 of the points for Gonzaga…Saint Mary's made just four shots from beyond the arc in this contest (Taycee Wedin, Katie Rathbun, Holland, Moe), their fewest in a game this season…the 49 points are the fewest the Gaels have scored in a game since another meeting against Gonzaga, in Spokane on January 21, 2016 (42-52 defeat).
 
UP NEXT
 
The Gaels will head south into a new state for Saturday's contest, as they meet the Pilots of the University of Portland. Tip-off for Saturday's contest is set for 2:00 pm. In addition to the traditional stream on the WCC Network, local viewers can find the game on NBC Sports Northwest.