Gonzaga Women's Basketball Team Suffers Loss to Cal in Exhibition Game

Zags Fall 72-65 in Preseason Tune-Up

The Gonzaga Bulldogs women's basketball team fell to the California Golden Bears 72-65 in an exhibition game on November 14, 2024, at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Slow Start Dooms Zags in Exhibition Loss

The Zags struggled to find their rhythm early in the game, falling behind 10-0 in the first five minutes. They managed to rally and cut the deficit to 20-16 at the end of the first quarter, but Cal extended its lead to 38-28 at halftime.

Gonzaga continued to fight in the second half, but Cal's lead proved too much to overcome. The Golden Bears shot 47.4% from the field, including 42.9% from three-point range, while the Zags shot just 38.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc.

Yvonne Ejim Leads Gonzaga in Scoring

Yvonne Ejim led the Zags in scoring with 15 points, followed by Brynna Maxwell with 12 points and Melody Kempton with 11 points. Kempton also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for Gonzaga.

Cal was led by Jayda Curry, who scored a game-high 18 points. Curry also dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds.

Zags Look to Bounce Back in Regular Season Opener

The Zags will open their regular season on November 25, 2024, when they host the Eastern Washington Eagles at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Gonzaga is coming off a 28-4 season in which they won the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The Zags are ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, and they are expected to be one of the top contenders for the national championship this season.