Nov. 8, 2001
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Junior forward Julie Butler scored 24 points to lead the Santa Clara University women's basketball team to a 95-78 exhibition victory over the KSC Szekszard of Hungary to close the 2001-2002 exhibition season tonight at the Leavey Center.
Szekszard's Tudit Katdacsi led all scorers with 25 points, while teammate Kristina Szemeredi added 23. The Broncos saw five players reach double figures, including a 16-point performance by freshman guard Kayla Huss. Senior guard Becki Ashbaugh and freshman guard Quinn Thomas added 13 points each while junior forward Tammy Annas added 10. Defensively, the Katdacsi led all defenders with nine rebounds.
The teams exchanged baskets quickly after tipoff, but KSC was able to take a four-point lead early on. Still down by four 19-23, the Broncos went on a 13-0 run, including two of the team's six first-half three-pointers en route to a 47-36 halftime edge.
In the second half, a steal by Thomas was converted into a quick lay-up that pushed the Broncos ahead by 20, at 68-48 midway through the second period.
"I'm optimistic, I'm excited," Santa Clara head coach Chris Denker said. "This team had only lost to Oregon and Saint Mary's by six points, and on film, they are a very capable team with a lot of experience. They're very skills offensively and tough to defend. That European style of play is hard to emulate in practice. It was good for us to have to chase around defensively and on the go, learn how to defend players like that, with posts that shoot threes. It was a different game altogether."
The Broncos did commit 36 turnovers, something Denker said he was disappointed in.
"On the other hand, though," he added, "I'm very optimistic that we can score 95 points with that many turnovers. If we can just correct that a little bit, we'll be good."
The Broncos open the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 17, against the University of the Utah at the Sheraton Four Points Classic, hosted by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The home opener will take place Tuesday, Nov. 27, a 6 p.m. start against San Jose State.
Season and individual game tickets are on sale for the 2001-2002 women's basketball seasons through the Santa Clara Athletic Ticket Office by calling 408-554-4660 or by clicking here. Several single game, season, group, team and family plans are available. For a seating map of the newly-renovated Leavey Center, click here.