Oct. 25, 2006
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara women's basketball team received a significant dose of recognition recently as it was ranked No. 49 in CBSSportline.com's College Basketball magazine's Preseason Top-64 rankings. The Broncos were also the only West Coast Conference school to be ranked among the Top 64 teams in the nation.
After capturing its first West Coast Conference regular-season title since the 1998-99 season, Santa Clara returns 12 letter-winners and six seniors to an experienced squad that will look to make its ninth postseason appearance in the last 10 seasons, and second trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last three years.
Guards Chandice Cronk, Ashley Graham, Anna Martin, and Tracey Walker return to a squad that in 2005-06 led the nation by making 263 three-pointers to the tune of 8.5 per game. Cronk and Graham finished No. 1 and 2 with three-point shooting percentages of 45.1% and 43.4%, respectively. Senior forwards Ashley Gonnerman and Kasey Monteith will also add to the team's depth, as Monteith led the WCC by shooting 54.1% from the field last season, helping the Broncos sweep all three shooting percentage categories (field goal, three-point, and free-throw pct.) in the conference rankings.
Santa Clara will begin the 2006-07 season on the road as the team travels south to take on the Long Beach State 49ers on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. The Broncos will open up their home slate on Wednesday, Nov. 15, as they host the Miami Hurricanes in a 7 p.m. battle at the Leavey Center.
