MOSCOW, Idaho - Bianca Cheever and Shaena Kuehu each scored 15 points, but the University of Idaho women's basketball team could not overcome its shooting woes in an 80-57 season-opening loss to Gonzaga Monday.

Idaho (0-1) shot 27 percent from the floor and 48 percent from the foul line to allow Gonzaga (1-1) to open up the game with large runs in each half.

"Our effort was really good," Idaho coach Jon Newlee said. "We came out and battled and played hard, but we missed 13 lay ins that we charted on the bench and we're 10-for-21 from the free throw line. I bet that's the worst a team I've coached has shot from the free throw line in a game. Those cost us because I really felt like we came out and played pretty good."

Idaho took a brief 5-4 lead at the 17:37 mark to start the game and trailed 11-9 two minutes later, but a scoreless streak of nearly 11 minutes saw the Vandals miss 15 shots and two free throws. Rachele Kloke ended the drought with a lay in, but Gonzaga took advantage to the tune of a 13-0 run and led by 15. The Vandals scored the next six points to bring the margin into single digits and later trailed 27-19, but the Bulldogs pushed the advantage to 32-22 at the half.

Cheever opened the second half with a 3-pointer to pull Idaho within seven and the teams traded five-point runs to make the score 37-30 with 16:57 remaining. Another lid was thrown on the Idaho basket as the Vandals went the next 6:25 without a field goal and Gonzaga was able to push its lead to 21 with a 15-1 run. Idaho responded with eight-consecutive points to make the score 52-30 with 9:44 remaining and the Vandals later pulled to within 60-49, but a three-point play began a Gonzaga 20-8 run over the final five minutes that allowed the Bulldogs to pull away for the 80-57 final score.

"I liked our effort, I liked our stuff tonight, but it just deflates a team when you don't make lay ups," Newlee said. "Just like a 3-pointer jacks them up a missed lay up is like popping the balloon. (Gonzaga) is so talented that you give them those kinds of breaks and it's over. You can't beat a great team like that without making lay ups and free throws."

Cheever's points all came from beyond the 3-point line and she added five rebounds. Kuehu hit 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and also finished with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Yinka Olorunnife scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Jessica Graham fought for eight points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes.

The Bulldogs held a 56-37 advantage in rebounding and turned 21 offensive rebounds into 28 second-chance points. The Vandals also grabbed 21 offensive rebounds, but scored just 12 second-chance points.

Gonzaga hit 41 percent of its shots and 81 percent of its free throws. The Bulldogs outscore the Vandals by 12 at the free throw line.

Idaho plays next at Eastern Washington Thursday (Nov. 19) at 7 p.m.