OREM, Utah — Santa Clara women's basketball defeated Utah Valley 64-62 on Saturday after opening the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run. The Broncos (2-0) finished with 19 assists, 14 steals and a 41-39 rebounding edge while holding off a late run from the Wolverines (1-1).
An 8-0 run for Santa Clara, capped by a Glancey 3-pointer, put the Broncos ahead 12-4 in the early going. Utah Valley answered during a Santa Clara scoring drought, getting two Elizabeth Gentry free throws, baskets from Lauren Johnson, Tabi Clark and Cambree Blackham, and a Gentry jumper at 2:38 to move in front 14-12. Hooker came up with a steal and made two free throws at 2:14 to tie it 14-14, then added another free throw before Delainey Miller and Maia Jones scored at the line as the Broncos closed the first quarter ahead 18-14.
Utah Valley scored the first two baskets of the second quarter, with Lauren Johnson's layup at 8:17 and Maren McKenna's layup at 6:47 tying the game at 18-18. Jones answered with a 3-pointer for Santa Clara at 6:06, and after Gracie Johnson brought Utah Valley within 21-20, Kylee Fox hit a 3-pointer to put the Broncos ahead 24-20. Utah Valley cut it to 24-22, but Miller made two free throws and added a layup to help Santa Clara move back in front 28-22. Naia Tanuvasa's 3-pointer brought Utah Valley within 28-25 before Glancey scored inside and Schmidt added a late free throw, giving the Broncos a 31-25 lead at halftime.
Santa Clara pushed its lead to 35-27 on two free throws from Glancey and two from Schmidt, but Utah Valley came back with an Elizabeth Gentry jumper and 3-pointer to make it 35-32 at 7:18. Glancey scored off an Aniya Hooker assist and Kate Schat hit a 3-pointer to move the Broncos back ahead 40-32, before a Tabi Clark 3-pointer and later inside scoring from Kendra Kitchen and Gentry helped Utah Valley trim the margin to 44-40 at 2:06. After a Glancey steal, Hooker knocked down a fast-break 3-pointer off an assist from Jones at 1:17, and Santa Clara carried a 47-42 lead into the fourth quarter after Gentry's late free throws.
The Broncos opened the fourth quarter with Sophie Glancey's jumper and Kylee Fox's back-to-back 3-pointers, with Schmidt blocking a shot between the Fox makes, to build a 55-42 lead at 7:43. After Naia Tanuvasa and Jones traded 3-pointers and Tabi Clark hit another from deep, Glancey scored inside and Miller tipped in a miss to put Santa Clara ahead 62-51 at 4:43. Utah Valley tightened the game with free throws from Clark, Cambree Blackham and Anna Shreeve before Shreeve and Blackham scored on consecutive possessions, cutting the Broncos' lead to 62-59 at 2:19. Glancey answered with a layup off Aniya Hooker's assist at 2:04 before Blackham made it 64-61 with 1:20 left. The Broncos protected the lead with late blocks by Glancey and Schmidt and held strong on the final possession to seal the win.
Santa Clara shot 33.3-percent (20-of-60) and went 8-of-30 from downtown.
Glancey scored 20 points and collected nine rebounds. Schmidt finished with nine points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Hooker recorded eight points, five assists and four steals. Fox added nine points on three 3-pointers and tallied three steals.
Utah Valley shot 36.1-percent (22-of-61) from the field and just 5-of-19 from deep.
Elizabeth Gentry scored 18 points and collected eight rebounds. Cambree Blackham finished with 13 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. Tabi Clark added 11 points and made two 3-pointers. Maren McKenna collected seven rebounds and recorded three steals.
Up next, the Broncos travel to face Long Beach State on Monday at 6 p.m.
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