SPOKANE, Wash. - A second half comeback fell short for the West Virginia University women’s basketball team, as the Mountaineers fell 62-57 to Gonzaga in the opening game of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Sunday.

 

The Mountaineers (2-1) overcame a 19-point deficit by outscoring the Bulldogs (3-1) 19-9 in the third quarter. West Virginia took a four-point lead, 48-44, after a layup from Bria Holmes with under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. GU fought back and tied the game on three more occasions. Back-to-back layups from freshman Laura Stockton gave the Zags a lead they would never relinquish and clinch the victory. West Virginia fired off a three-pointer in the final seconds to tie the game, but it just missed with GU gathering the rebound. Stockton and Jill Barta led Gonzaga with 14 points each.

 

Holmes scored all of her 19 points in the second half to lead the Mountaineers. Lanay Montgomery grabbed a team-leading 10 rebounds, scored seven points and blocked four shots in 21 minutes of action. Tynice Martin posted eight points and pulled in seven rebounds, while Teana Muldrow contributed with six points and seven rebounds.

 

“The outcome is disappointing after we displayed great effort and fought back in the third quarter,” said coach Mike Carey. “We still have a lot of work to do and must get ready for a good USC program tomorrow.”

 

Both teams shot 33.3 percent from the field for the game with WVU knocking down 21-of-63 and Gonzaga hitting 20-of-63. The Mountaineers were out-rebounded 45-40 and committed 15 turnovers. WVU blocked six shots and dished out 11 assists in the contest.

 

West Virginia maintained a lead for half of the first quarter until Barta tallied seven consecutive points to give the Bulldogs an 11-8 edge. A poor shooting second quarter allowed Gonzaga to make a 9-0 run and push their lead to double-figures. The Bulldogs outscored WVU, 24-10, in the second quarter and took a 35-18 lead at the break. Barta led all scorers with 13 points, while Tynice Martin had five points for the Mountaineers.

 

WVU made just 7-of-28 for 25 percent, while GU knocked down 11-of-26 for 42.3 percent. Gonzaga held a brief 20-18 edge in rebounds and forced 10 WVU turnovers in the first half.

 

In the second half, West Virginia improved its field goal percentage to 40.0 percent (14-of-35). Holmes connected on a layup and three-point to narrow WVU’s deficit to 11 with six minutes remaining in the third. West Virginia trimmed the lead to six with another layup from Holmes and trailed 44-37 at the end of three.

 

Holmes again came out on fire in the fourth quarter with another layup to put WVU within five. Buckets from Holmes and Montgomery coupled with a trey from freshman Katrina Pardee gave WVU a 48-44 lead with 7:38 left. However, Gonzaga fought back late in the game and took the game-winning lead with a bucket from the freshman Stockton.

 

West Virginia looks to regroup against USC on Monday in day two of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge. Tipoff is set for 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington.

 

NOTES: Bria Holmes now has 1,463 career points … WVU and Gonzaga met for the first time on Sunday … a crowd of 5,509 watched the contest … Lanay Montgomery has blocked four shots in each of the first three games … West Virginia looks to regroup against USC on Monday ... Morgantown's Olivia Seggie scored her first bucket in the first half against Gonzaga.