SANTA CLARA, Calif. – In a rare defensive battle, Santa Clara women's basketball won its third in a row with a 63-55 victory over Saint Mary's Thursday night at home. The Broncos (21-7, 11-4 WCC) never trailed, but it was never comfortable as the Gaels (14-13, 5-9 WCC) stayed close most of the way and used a big run to tie things in the second half before Santa Clara was able to close it out.
HOW IT HAPPENED:Â
- Santa Clara started the game with the first five before the two teams went back-and-forth for most of the rest of the quarter. A triple by Kate Schat at 3:39 make it a seven point lead for the Broncos but it was their last points of the period. Saint Mary's didn't fare much better the rest of the way, scoring just four points and Santa Clara went into the first break up 15-12.
- After the Gaels got within three, Ashley Hawkins and Ava Schmidt hit back-to-back 3-pointers to stretch Santa Clara's lead to 27-18 with 6:22 to go in the half. The Broncos went cold from that point, going through a five minute scoring drought, but Saint Mary's didn't take full advantage, only scoring five points during the run. Delainey Miller snapped an 0-for-7 field goal drought over 6:20 with a tough layup at the buzzer to put the Broncos on top 31-25 at the half.
- Santa Clara started the third quarter with the first Sven points and to out in front by as much as 14 at the 7:18 mark. The Gaels had a response and used a 16-2 run over four and a half minutes to even the score at 43. Schmidt ended the run with a triple and Hawkins followed with a layup. Miller did it again to end the third, grabbing an offensive board and putting it back as the buzzer sounded to make it a 50-45 Broncos lead heading into the fourth quarter.
- Saint Mary's cut the deficit to one with the first two buckets of the fourth before Santa Clara responded right back with five in a row. With 4:13, a Gaels bucket made it a two point contest, but their offense stalled and didn't score again. The Broncos also went through a scoring drought of over four minutes but a Schmidt layup snapped it and they converted from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to ice the win.
NOTABLE:
- Santa Clara shot 33.3-percent (23-of-69) from the field and went 11-of-38 from beyond the arc.
- Schmidt and Miller led the way on offense for the Broncos with 14 points each. Schmidt nailed four 3-pointers and added six rebounds with Miller going 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep while pulling doing six boards. Hawkins scored 11 to go with seven assists and five rebounds and Maia Jones scored 10 with a career-high five blocks. Tyler Gildersleeve-Stiles had a team-best seven rebounds.
- Saint Mary's shot42.4-percent from the floor and was 1-of-10 from downtown.
- Abigail Shoff led the Gaels with 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Malia Latu scored 12 with seven boards with Addi Wedin adding nine points.
- Santa Clara forced 21 turnovers and had a 20-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
- The Broncos held a 16-6 edge in second chance points.
- Hawkins 173 assists this season puts her at No. 4 on the program's single season list.
- Jones is now 20 points away from 1,000 for her career.
- The 21st win of the season gave Loree Payne the most wins by a first year head coach in program history.
POSTGAME COMMENTS:Â
HIGHLIGHTS:Â
NEXT UP
- The Broncos play at Pepperdine Saturday at 2 p.m.
