SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara women's basketball picked up another win Saturday by topping Saint Mary's 70-58. The Broncos had a big lead headed to the fourth but the Gaels made it interesting before Santa Clara could close it out.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A 15-3 Santa Clara run (19-7, 7-4 WCC) put the Broncos up 11 late in the first quarter before Saint Mary's (10-14, 3-7 WCC) came back with the final four of period to get within 18-11.
• The teams went back-and-forth in second with Santa Clara's lead growing to as high as 13 but it was a 31-22 lead at the break.
• The Broncos came out of the half hot, scoring the first seven points to get up 16 and ended the third up 17.
• The Gaels made things interesting in the fourth, scoring the first nine points and cutting their deficit to single digits at 54-46. Marya Hudgins calmed things down with five points in a row but Saint Mary's got within eight again at the 1:26 mark on back-to-back 3-pointers before the Broncos closed things out at the free throw line.

 
NOTABLE NUMBERS:

•  Santa Clara shot 46.2-percent from the floor and went 12-of-27 from deep while Saint Mary's was at 38.5-percent from the field and 9 of-24 from downtown.
• Hudgins led all scorers with 18 and was 7-of-10 from the field including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Olivia Pollerd scored 16, hitting four more 3-pointers, and added six rebounds and five assists. Tess Heal scored 15 on 5-of-7 shooting with six assists.
• Santa Clara had a 36-23 edge on the glass.
• The Broncos held a 21-10 edge in bench points.
• They assisted on 19 of their 24 made baskets.

 
OTHER NOTES:

• Heal moved into 25th all-time at Santa Clara with 1,034 points.
•  Bill Carr is now second all-time in program history in wins by a head coach with 113.

 
POSTGAME COMMENTS:
 

Hear from head coach Bill Carr following today's win over Saint Mary's#StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/gCxplNp5tp

— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) February 11, 2024

HIGHLIGHTS:
 

Some of today's victory over the Gaels!#StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/QI9n89Adc9

— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) February 11, 2024

NEXT UP

• The Broncos play at San Francisco Thursday at 6 p.m.