Jan. 17, 2009
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Lena Gipson led the Broncos with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds as Santa Clara women's basketball fell 50-38 to Portland Saturday afternoon in West Coast Conference action at the Leavey Center. It is Gipson's 13 double-double of the season and third straight.
Elizabeth Doran kept her three-point field goal streak alive as she registered two treys for the Broncos, who dropped to 2-17 on the season and have yet to win a conference game (0-4). She has now tallied at least one three-pointer in 15 straight games. Sara Majors was hot off the boards once again, pulling down eight rebounds.
For Portland (9-8, 2-1 WCC), Tara Cronin led the game with 20 points and five steals. Allyson Sievers added 12 points and both Sievers and Cronin tied for a team-best seven rebounds.
The Pilots took early control of the scoreboard and climbed to a 9-4 lead with 14:08 to play on a layup from Sievers. The Broncos responded with a basket from Kathy Willinsky and a three-pointer from Doran to tie the game, 9-9, with 11:41 remaining. The score was tied one again by the Broncos before Santa Clara took its first lead of the game, 13-11, on a jumper by Maggie Goldenberger. However, Portland tied it back up and created a gap with six minutes to play. The Broncos held strong and cut the score within one point, 16-15, on free throws from Alyssa Shoji. But that was the closest they would get as the Pilots led 20-18 going into the second half.
The Broncos struggled in the beginning of the second half and the Pilots pulled ahead, 29-20, on a jumper from Lauren Angel. Santa Clara fought hard but the closest it could get was within five-point, 39-34, with 7:42 to play, on free throws by Gipson. Gipson was 9-for-11 from the charity stripe for the game. Portland scored its final two points on free throws from Cronin to win the game, 50-38.
Santa Clara returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 24 against San Francisco. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the War Memorial Gym in San Francisco.