"I thought, despite the score, this is probably the best team we are going to play all year," said head coach Joan Bonvicini. "I thought we competed today and we got better today. It won't necessarily show in the score. I think if we can compete the way we did in the first half and the rest of our games continue to improve we will be fine."
The opening minutes of the game featured a Redhawk squad that was in sync and appeared undeterred by their opponent, who reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last season. Elle Kerfoot (Surrey, B.C.) would lead the SU charge and the young Seattle U squad would take an early 10-4 lead just over two minutes into the game.
Gonzaga, paced by point guard Courtney Vandersloot, would bring the Bulldogs back and even the score nearly four minutes in, but the Redhawks did not slow down their offensive efforts while the Bulldogs broke out with the lead at 14:12, 13-12.
A steal and quick layup by Daidra Brown (Seattle, Wash.) at 11:34, would bring SU within a possession, 18-16, before the Zags would put on a full court press and add four consecutive points. Despite their momentary momentum, Seattle U remained persistent and did not let GU's all-around run stymie their efforts.
Kerfoot would make her third basket from downtown with less than 10 minutes to go, making it a 22-21 game to keep SU within a possession.
Seven minutes into the first half, Seattle U continued to work to dictate the game pace. Back-to-back baskets by freshman Ashley Ward (Irvine, Calif.) would even the game, 30-30.
GU would manage to go on another 4-0 run in response to Ward's score-evening layin, but despite their youth the Redhawks managed to repeatedly even the score with the veteran and experience clad Bulldogs.
Brown would put together her second steal and layup run, to give SU a 36-34 lead at 2:32 and Kerfoot would again even the score at 38-38 just before the one-minute mark.
Carley Butcher (Pitt Meadows, B.C.) would close out the half with consecutive baskets to send Seattle U into the locker room with a 42-40 advantage.
In the first half, the Redhawks shot 63.0 percent (17-for-27) from the field, while the Bulldogs were 53.1 percent (17-for-32). Seattle U saw success from three-point land, where Kerfoot was a perfect 3-for-3.
Kerfoot would go on to lead the team's offensive efforts, scoring 19 points, including going 5-for-8 from downtown. She also had a team-best five assists in 34 minutes of work.
After an energetic first half, it was Gonzaga who came out with an early offensive flurry. The Zags would go on a 14-2 run in the first minutes of play and reinitiated their tight full court press.
At 16:21, GU established their first double figure lead, 54-44, and would never look back.
Seattle U would claw back within 12, behind a Kerfoot trey at 10:23, but Gonzaga's offense responded creating a 20-point plus cushion to close out the game.
In the game, both squads shot above 50 percent from the field, with GU shooting 54.4 (37-for-68), while SU shot 54.0 percent (27-for-50). Gonzaga outrebounded Seattle U 36 to 23, behind 16 offensive rebounds and 22 second chance points.
For the Zags' Kayla Standish led both sides with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Vandersloot had eight assists, seven steals and 14 points in the game, and Janelle Bekkering had 18 points and Katelan Redmon tallied 12 points.
Seattle U had three players score in double figures. Following Kerfoot's 19 points, were Butcher and Salena Dickerson (Federal Way, Wash.) who each had 10 points in the game.
The Redhawks (4-11) will return to action in two days, when Navy heads to Seattle for a New Years Day matchup. SU will take on the Midshipmen on Saturday, Jan. 1, in a 7:30 p.m. game.