SPOKANE, Wash. – The Beacons had their hands full on Sunday, traveling to Spokane for an exhibition with perennial powerhouse Gonzaga. NCU battled hard but came up short, falling by a final of 96-35.
 
The Zags begin the 2017/2018 campaign ranked just outside of the Top 25, receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll. Their performance was representative of a team of their stature, playing poised and disciplined on both ends of the court.
 
Freshman Jenn Wirth led the Gonzaga offense with 18 points and eight rebounds off the bench, topping all players on the court. Jill Barta and Zykera Rice had 16 and 15 respectively while each grabbing eight boards. Chandler Smith had 12 points and six steals while Bulldog point guard Laura Stockton came up just shy of a double-double with 11 points and eight assists.
 
Niki Duncan topped the scoring column for Northwest Christian (3-0), ending the night with 11 points. Duncan went 4-9 from the field including three scores from beyond-the-arc. Freshman center Anamaria Virjoghe had seven points, four boards and two steals. Janae Turner also had seven points to go along with three boards for the Beacons.
 
NCU continues their exhibition schedule on Friday, November 10 with another NCAA opponent in Boise State. The game is set for a 5:30 p.m. tip and can be streamed on the Mountain West Network.