Feb. 14, 2003
LOS ANGELES - The Santa Clara University women's basketball team defeated Loyola Marymount 57-49 this evening in West Coast Conference action at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles. Sophomore guards Kayla Huss and Quinn Thomas led the Broncos with 12 points each, as the team improves to 16-6 on the season and 7-2 in the league. LMU falls to 11-12, 3-7.
It was a game of scoring streaks for each team, as Huss scored 10 of her 12 in the final three minutes of the first half to give the Broncos the lead for the remainder of the game, and a 29-25 halftime advantage. Huss opened the second half with a basket before handing the reins to Thomas, who hit back-to-back threes and a 10-foot jumper in the first four minutes of the second period to extend the Bronco lead.
Seniors Tammy Annas and Julie Butler also reached double-figure scoring for Santa Clara, with 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
LMU's Adrianne Slaughter scored the first 10 points of the second period for the Lions and led all scorers with 21 points. She led all rebounders as well, with 12 on the night.
The Broncos erased the slow start of past games and started with a 7-0 lead, forcing Lion head coach Julie Wilhoit to call a time out just two minutes into the game. Annas hit a three from the top of the key to start SCU's offense and followed with a lay-in. Butler followed with three easy scores and the Broncos were up 11-2.
LMU responded and went on a 16-0 run to take the lead and the advantage, and held the Broncos scoreless for 7:50 on the clock. Annas ended the streak with a basket just under the seven-minute mark. That seemed to spark Santa Clara, as it got two more baskets, on a steal and drive by Thomas and a putback by fellow sophomore Kim Butler, to pull within one.
SCU went cold again and LMU regained its edge with five straight points. Santa Clara battled, and a three and a lay-in by Huss, as well as two free throws by sophomore Kim Butler, and the Broncos were back in it.
Santa Clara finished the half on a 12-2 run, and continued the push in the second period. A putback by senior Kendra Rhea gave SCU a 10-poiint lead, at 45-35 with 12:47 remaining in the contest.
The Broncos held LMU without a three-point field goal, and was a perfect 9-9 from the charity stripe heading into the final minute of competition. After the Lions pulled to within four, 51-47 with three minutes remaining, Santa Clara missed the front end of two one-and-ones, which could have secured the victory. The Broncos did hold on, with Thomas nailing two free throws in the closing seconds for the final score.
Santa Clara remains on the road and will face league-leading Pepperdine tomorrow night. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and can be heard on an Internet audio broadcast on SantaClaraBroncos.com as well as on television on Fox Sports Northwest and Fox Sports West 2. Fox Sports Bay Area will tape-delay the game for Sunday morning at 11 a.m.
