March 7, 2009
LAS VEGAS - Senior guard Sara Majors brought her collegiate career to a close with a career-high 19 points, eight field goals, three three-pointers and two blocks Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the 2009 West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament. The eighth-seeded Santa Clara women's basketball team fell 71-60 to fourth-seeded Loyola Marymount at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
"First we have to tip our hats to LMU," said head coach Jennifer Mountain. "We battled the entire game and it came down to rebounding. We can't give up 17 offensive boards and expect to be in the game at the end. But I'm really proud of our effort yesterday and today."
Fellow senior Elizabeth Doran added 12 points for the Broncos, while Maggie Goldenberger and Alyssa Shoji each had 10 points. On the boards, Goldenberger and Lena Gipson had seven each.
For the Lions, Renahy Young had 23 points and Cassady Moore registered 15 points. Aleyse Evans led the game with 10 rebounds.
The Lions jumped to a 4-0 lead quickly but at 16:41 Gipson broke the silence and cut the lead in half, 4-2. Majors then knocked down a three-pointer to give SCU a 5-4 advantage. The two teams then battled point-for-point until the 12:15 mark. The lead changed five times during that span.
LMU used a 9-0 run to gain a 22-14 lead with about eight minutes to play. Santa Clara interrupted the run with a layup from Majors, 22-16. The Broncos came within five points on a three-pointer from Doran. However, the Lions continued to push ahead and ended the half with a 32-25 edge.
In the beginning of the second half, LMU made it a 10-point game with a three-pointer from Cassady Moore, 37-27. At 10:48, the Lions claimed a 53-41 lead and never looked back. The Broncos continued to fight with points from Majors, Shoji and Goldenberger. With back-to-back treys from Majors and Doran, SCU made it a nine-point game, 65-56, with 2:01 to play. However, Lion free throws prevented the Broncos from coming any closer. A layup from Shoji made the final score 71-60 with a jumper.
The Broncos end the season with a 4-27 overall record and a 1-13 WCC mark.