Nov. 14, 2008
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FULLERTON, Calif. - Despite double-digit efforts from Lena Gipson, Becky Goll and Claire Goins, the Santa Clara women's basketball team lost its first game of the season, 62-46, to Fullerton Friday night at Titan Gym.
Goll led the Broncos (0-1) with 11 points (5-for-9), while Goins, in her second career start, had 10 points (4-for-5). Gipson compiled her first double-double of the year with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The Broncos won the battle of the boards, 40-32, and out-shot the Titans, 40.9 to 35.5 percent. Freshman Alyssa Shoji earned her first collegiate start and added seven points for SCU.
For the Titans (1-0), Lauren Chow led the game with 14 points, while Ashley Richie and Toni Thomas registered 13 kills. Thomas also pulled down a team-best six boards.
Thomas opened the scoring just 17 seconds in with a layup, 1-0, but Santa Clara responded at 19:20 on a jumper by Sara Majors. That was the only time the score was tied. The Broncos kept the score tight and after the Titans climbed to an eight-point lead, 18-10, SCU began to rally back. The Broncos came within two-points, 19-17, on a layup by Goll, but could not knot the score. Fullerton compiled a 9-0 run to create an 11-point gap, 28-17, with 5:03 left in the first half. Fullerton led 28-19 going into halftime.
Santa Clara opened the second half with a solid layup by Gipson followed by a jumper from Gipson two minutes later to cut Fullerton's lead to five-points, 28-23. However with 10:01 remaining in the second half, the Titan produced their largest lead of the game, 21-points, on a jumper by Chow. With deuces from Kimee Goeggel, Gipson and Shoji, Santa Clara tried to chip away at the lead. The closest the Broncos could get was 14 points, three times. The last was on a free throw by Shoji at 2:30. At 1:07, Chow made the final basket of the game to make the final score, 62-46.
The Broncos return to action on Sunday, Nov. 16 against the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Leavey Center.
