Web update: Toreros tames Santa Clara women's basketball

By Margo Consul

Santa Clara went into Thursday's game in hopes of getting their firstwin in conference. San Diego was looking to break a four-game losingstreak. The Toreros were able to end their streak before the Broncos bydominating the second half and wining the game by a score 70-54.

"I personally think it was our lack of fight," Santa Clara head coachJennifer Mountain said. "They were ready to go at the tip and I thinkthat we fought at times but we didn't fight for 40 minutes so that's whywe fell short."

Lena Gipson scored a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds for Santa Clara(2-21, 0-8 WCC).

At 6:08 of the second half San Diego's Dominique Conners completed bothof the free throws to give the Toreros their biggest lead of the nightat 66-46.

"We lost the game at the defensive end we don't normally give up 70points in a game, but weren't good enough offensively," Mountain said.

San Diego (13-9, 4-4 WCC) went up 47-39 at 12:57 with a quick basket byKiva Herman. Santa Clara's Maggie Goldenberger would respond right backwith a two points of her own to make the score 39-49 San Diego.

Bronco Becky Goll's basket at 1:49 made the score 68-51 but it would betoo little too late for Santa Clara

"I think we did a better job of boxing out on defense and getting therebounds (in the first half)," Sara Majors said. "Our defense reallydropped off in the second half, it was an effort thing."

The Broncos started off the first half strong with a 3-pointer by LizDoran to get the score 4-3 Santa Clara at 18:19.

After that it would be a tight game all the way through with San Diegokeeping a small lead. The Toreros biggest lead would come at 9:14 with atrey by San Diego's Sara VanderHorst making the score 22-15.

But the Broncos would rally back as Maggie Goldenberger put up two tobring Santa Clara within six by a score of 34-28 USD at 2:33. Doranwould bring the score at the end of the first half within four by ascore of 34-30 San Diego.

At 19:05 of the second Doran would make her second trey of the night totie it up making the score 35-35, but that would be the closest theBroncos would get to the Toreros.

Both teams demonstrated some strong defense under the basket during thefirst half. Santa Clara and San Diego had 15 rebounds each. Lena Gipsonwould post seven rebounds for the Broncos in the first half.

"We just didn't seem to connect as a team at all, we were playing asindividuals." Goldenberger said. "I don't know why we weren't ready toplay today but we weren't ready.

Contact Margo Consul at (408) 551-1918 or mconsul@scu.edu.