Ejim’s double-double leads No. 16 Gonzaga women past Pacific

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) — Yvonne Ejim had 22 points and 12 rebounds, McKayla Williams added 19 points and seven boards and No. 16 Gonzaga held off Pacific 81-78 on Thursday.

Gonzaga led for 39 minutes, 18 seconds, with an advantage as high as 16 points. But Pacific scored 30 points in the fourth quarter to make it close down the stretch. Anaya James completed a three-point play with 5:30 left to get Pacific within 70-69 and she gave the Tigers their first lead at 74-73 on a 3-pointer from the corner.

James made a runner with 36.5 seconds left to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 79-78 and she had another shot at the lead after Gonzaga was called for traveling. But James was short on a jumper before Kaylynne Truong secured the loose ball under the basket and made two free throws with 0.5 seconds left.

Truong finished with 14 points, six rebounds and seven assists for Gonzaga (18-2, 8-0 West Coast Conference), which has won 13 in a row against the Tigers. Eliza Hollingsworth scored 11 points.

Gonzaga scored the opening 12 points of the game, with seven points from Williams. Pacific missed its first five shots, four from 3-point range, and turned it over three times, but rallied to get within 20-17 entering the second quarter. Gonzaga led 45-31 at halftime.

Liz Smith made five 3-pointers and scored 21 points for Pacific (7-12, 2-6). James finished with 18 points and Elizabeth Elliott scored all 15 of her points in the second half. Smith made three 3-pointers in the opening two minutes of the fourth quarter.

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