Box Score PULLMAN, Wash. – Santa Clara women's basketball's historic season came to an end in the second round of the WBIT with a 73-47 loss to top-seeded Washington State Sunday afternoon. In a defense-first game, neither team shot well but the Broncos especially struggled from downtown and couldn't make up the difference inside the arc as the Cougars pulled away in the fourth after the game was all but decided.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Washington State (19-12) got out to a 9-2 lead before back-to-back 3-pointer by Jayde Cadee and Lara Edmanson cut the Santa Clara (25-8) deficit to one. The Broncos would use a 6-0 run late in the period to take a brief lead but the Cougars scored the final five of the quarter and led 18-14 after the opening 10 minutes.
• The teams went back and forth for the first part of the second but Washington State outscored Santa Clara 10-2 over the final 5:08 to lead 32-24 at the half.
• The Broncos couldn't take advantage of a 1-for-11 stretch from the field by the Cougars in the third quarter, having a 1-o-f-9 stretch of their won and going the final 2:34 without a point. Washington State scored six in a row over the final 1:36 to lead 43-32 heading into the fourth.
• A 12-2 run for the Cougars in the final period stretched their lead out to 18 and would stretch the lead over the final five minutes.

 
NOTABLE NUMBERS:

• It was a tough shooting day for the Broncos overall as they finished at 33.3-percent from the field but just 3-of-21 from downtown, including 2-of-13 in the first half. Washington State finished the game at 43.9-percent from the field and 7-for-17 from 3-point land.
• Heal finished the game with a game-high 18 points and added four rebounds and three assists. Olivia Pollerd scored eight with five rebounds and Lara Edmanson had seven points and four boards.
• Astera Tuhina led Washington State with 14 points. Kyra Gardner scored 11 with Beyonce Bea pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with eight points.

 
OTHER NOTES:

• Santa Clara's 25 wins this season were the second-most in program history, trailing only the 1990-91 team that went 28-3 and won the WNIT.
• Heal finishes the season with 663, the most in a single-season in program history. She also finished with the most made free throws (191) and attempts (219) in a season.
• Heal and Pollerd finished with the most points by a tandem in the team's history. They scored a combined 1,222, topping the previous mark of 1,095 set in 1990-91.

 
POSTGAME COMMENTS:

Hear from head coach Bill Carr after today's season finale.#StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/771ee63LDl

— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) March 24, 2024