SPOKANE, Wash.—San Diego battled but could not overcome a strong first half from Gonzaga in a 71-44 loss on Thursday evening in Spokane.
 
The Toreros (8-17, 1-13 WCC) struggled to keep pace with the high-powered Bulldogs (23-2, 12-1 WCC) offense that went 67 percent from the field in the first half on 14-of-21 shooting to build a comfortable lead and never looked back.
 
Leticia Soares scored a team-high 10 points, while Madison Pollock added eight points, 10 rebounds and two steals for San Diego. Aminata Dosso chipped in seven points, while Sydney Shepard led the Toreros with 3 assists.
 
 It was all Gonzaga in the first half, as the Bulldogs went 14-of-21 from the field and hit 5-of-8 from three-point range to lead San Diego, 42-12, at halftime.
 
The Toreros offense began to find a rhythm and opened the second half on a 10-0 run, but the Bulldogs quickly answered with a 10-point run of their own to halt USD's momentum. San Diego matched the Bulldogs shot-for-shot in the third period and outscored the Bulldogs 16-13 in the final quarter, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.
 
San Diego remains on the road for a matchup with Portland on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT.