Feb. 28, 2009
PORTLAND, Ore. - Lena Gipson led the game with 20 points and 15 rebounds but the Santa Clara women's basketball team fell 61-53 in a hard-fought battle at Portland to bring the 2008-09 regular season to a close. It was the 18th double-double for the sophomore forward.
Freshman Alyssa Shoji and senior Elizabeth Doran added nine points each for the Broncos (3-26, 1-13 WCC). Both earned all nine points on three-pointers. Senior Sara Majors earned her 500th career point and added five boards for SCU.
For the Pilots (17-12, 10-4 WCC), Laiken Dollente tied the game-high 20 points, while Lauren Angel had six rebounds.
The Broncos took an early 3-0 lead on a trey from Shoji, but the Pilots fought back to gain a one-point lead, 4-3, on a jumper from Andrea Wujek. The two teams traded baskets for a few minutes until Santa Clara claimed a nine-point lead on points from Gipson, Maggie Goldenberger and Kathy Willinsky. Santa Clara led 18-9 with eight minutes to play.
However, Portland began to chip away at the lead and with a deuce from ReZina Teclemariam, the game was tied 22-22 with 3:26 to play. The Pilots took the lead on free throws from Allyson Sievers, but Claire Goins knotted the score, 24-24, with 1:40 to go. Back-to-back three-pointers put Portland back on top with a 30-24 lead at halftime.
Portland quickly earned a 10-point lead in the second half, 39-29, and never looked back. Santa Clara did come within three points with a trey from Doran. However, Dollente made her two free throws with 38 seconds to play for the final score, 61-53.
Santa Clara waits the official seeding of the 2009 West Coast Conference Basketball Championships. The Broncos will play the No. 5 seed on March 6 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Tip-off is scheduled for Noon.