SPOKANE, Wash. — It was a warm welcome for Coach Fortier, who spent time before the scrimmage shaking hands, taking photos and signing autographs for fans.
The afternoon started with the skills challenge, and Bree Salenbien,who is still recovering from her third ACL surgery, took home the three-point contest victory. Vera Gunaydin won the Hot Shot challenge, where she was the fastest to make a layup, free throw, three-pointer and half-court shot.
During the scrimmage, the blue team took an early lead behind Yvonne Ejim's 10 points, six of which came in the first quarter.
Ines Bettencourt had a good showing as well for the white team, also finishing with 10 points. However, both teams struggled to shoot, finishing the game shooting less than 40% from the field. Coach Fortier said that's something they've seen in practice and is part of the growth process.
“We have good shooters, but finding the time to shoot them, and the time not to and the patience," Fortier said. "I think we’ve been a little bit impatient in practice at times, and I think we looked a little impatient today at times, but I think that some people did a nice job. Yvonne did a good job, Ines was aggressive, it’s interesting to see when you turn on the lights, which players look exactly like they look in practice, and which ones look better, and which ones struggle a little bit more."
Also impressive was freshman Allie Turner, the first contestant to take the floor in the three-point contest, setting a high bar and coming in second. She also had a solid showing in the scrimmage, and with big shoes to fill at guard, she may be a player to watch this season.
“Allie is one of the most fearless players I’ve ever played with," senior guard Esther Little said. "With her background, coming from high school, she’s not a transfer, she didn’t come from college, she’s fearless. She gets open, she’s so willing to learn, she asks so many questions, she wants to get better, and that’s all you can ask as a teammate.”
The Gonzaga women play an exhibition game against College of Idaho November 1st at 6pm to kick off the season.
