Senior forward Challis Pascucci led the Thunderbirds (9-6, 3-1 Summit) with 18 points while Gonzaga University (12-4) shot 55% and had five players finish in double figures. SUU also had senior Caitlyn Sears finish with 14 points and freshman guard Desiree Jackson added 11. Sears is just three points away from becoming the ninth player in school-history to reach the 1,000 career-point milestone.

Gonzaga, a team that reached NCAA Tournament Sweet-16 a season ago, took advantage of their size down low, outrebounding the Thunderbirds 52-39 and scoring 32 second-chance points while scoring 50 points from inside the paint.

Southern Utah held their own with the Zags in opening minutes as Pascucci scored eight of SUU's first 12 points before a jumper by Sears made it an eight-point game at the 14:19 mark.

The speed of Gonzaga eventually took control as they outscored SUU 41-22 the rest of the half, shooting 56% and registering 20 second-chance points to take a 63-36 lead into the break.

The Bulldogs opened the second half with a 21-6 run and never looked bad as the Thunderbirds struggled with their shooting in the second period, shooting 26% and finishing the game 0-for-8 from behind the arc.

SUU had sophomore forward Tayler Anderson grab a team-high eight boards and senior point guard Kaila Goff matched a career-high with nine assists. Gonzaga's two-time All-American point guard and the nation's leader in assists Courtney Vandersloot scored a game-high 20 points finished with 12 assists.

The Thunderbirds resume Summit League play this weekend, heading to Kansas City to face UMKC at 3 p.m. (MST) on Saturday.