SPOKANE, Wash. — Eliza Hollingsworth had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Yvonne Ejim scored 16 points and Brynna Maxwell added 15 to help No. 21 Gonzaga cruise to an 83-58 win over South Dakota State on Sunday.
Gonzaga (11-2), which has won five games in a row since an 81-70 loss to No. 18 Louisville on Nov. 26, improved to 1-3 all time against South Dakota State.
Hollingsworth shot 6 of 9 from the field and 3 of 4 from 3-point range and finished with two steals and two blocks.
Mesa Byon and Jenna Popp scored 12 points apiece to lead South Dakota State (6-4).
Ejim scored 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting as the Bulldogs jumped to a 17-4 lead with 4:26 left in the first quarter and South Dakota State trailed by double figures the rest of the way. Madison Mathiowetz converted a three-point play that trimmed the deficit to 12 early in the second quarter but Ejim answered with a bucket in the paint, Maxwell followed with a layup and Hollingsworth hit a 3-pointer to make it 35-14 with 5:41 remaining in the first half.
The Zags shot 67% (20 of 30) from the field, 6 of 11 (55%) from 3-point range, and scored 15 points off eight SDSU turnovers before intermission.
Brooklyn Meyer, who went into the game leading the Jackrabbits — and the Summit League — in scoring (17.0 per game), rebounding (9.8) and blocks (2.3), had just two points, on 1-of-5 shooting, and a rebound at halftime. The sophomore finished with four points and two rebounds — both season lows — in 25 minutes.
South Dakota State wraps up a two-game road trip Thursday at No. 20 Creighton. Gonzaga plays Arizona at the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix on Wednesday.
