Toreros Top Broncos 70-54

Toreros Top Broncos 70-54

Feb. 5, 2009

Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara women's basketball team fell 70-54 to San Diego Thursday night in West Coast Conference action at the Leavey Center. Sophomore Lena Gipson led all players with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

The Broncos (2-21, 0-8 WCC) return to action on Saturday, Feb. 7 against the Gaels of Saint Mary's. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga.

Amber Sprague led San Diego (13-9, 4-4 WCC) with 17 points, while Dominique Carters and Herman Kiva added 15 points each.

San Diego took early control of the scoreboard with back-to-back jumpers from Kiva Herman, but Elizabeth Doran responded with a three-pointer to bring the game within one, 4-3. The Broncos were held off for about five minutes before Lena Gipson knotted the score with a layup, 9-9. The two teams battled for a short while for possession but the Toreros gained the advantage with a layup from Sprague, 17-14, with 11:05 to play.

Free shots made by Becky Goll brought SCU back within two points, 17-15, but USD claimed an eight-point lead, 34-26, on a layup from Emily Hatch with 3:19 to play. The Broncos continued to fight and cut the gap in half on points from Maggie Goldenberger and Doran to make the halftime score, 34-30.

The Broncos scored first in the second half with a Gipson jumper from Sara Majors and a three-pointer by Doran tied the score, 35-35. However, the Toreros compiled a 13-2 run to claim a 12-point lead, 49-37, with 12:57 to play. Goldenberger interrupted the rally with a jumper to make it a 10-point game, 49-39, and then both teams went quiet for about three minutes until Hatch broke the silence for USD with a second-chance layup at 9:38. The Toreros then claimed their largest lead of the game, 66-46, after free throws by Sprague. Points from Gipson, Goll and Rhianna Faithfull helped to chip away at the lead, but San Diego took the game on a jumper from Erica Carlson, 70-54.