SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Wrapping-up a tough weekend on the road, Santa Clara women's basketball lost to BYU by a final of 61-44. The loss puts the Broncos at 7-13 overall and 3-5 in WCC action while the Cougars are now 16-4 overall and 6-4 in conference play.
Santa Clara returns to the floor Thurs., Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. at No. 25 Gonzaga.
Santa Clara shot 26.4% (14-53) from the field and 31.3% (5-16) from three. The Broncos had 36 rebounds, nine assists, 14 turnovers, three blocks, and two steals. Ricki Radanovich led the offense with 16 points on 4-8 shooting from deep. Jo Paine added eight points and three rebounds while Marie Bertholdt had seven rebounds with four points.
BYU shot 31.6% (18-57) from the field and 33.3% (5-15) from three. The Cougars had 46 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 turnovers, five blocks, and six steals. Morgan Bailey led the offense with 18 points and 13 rebounds on 7-15 shooting. Kim Beeston scored 12 points while Ashley Garfield pulled down 13 boards to go with five points.
Radanovich hit the first field goal of the game at 17:40 when she drained a three to put the Broncos on top 3-1. After the teams exchanged baskets, Montana Walters hit a three of her own to make it a five-point lead for Santa Clara.
BYU came back and tied the game with a three from Beeston and a layup from Kylie Maeda at 14:12. The Broncos came back with five straight of their own but BYU retied the game at the 9:27 mark.
Bailey hit back-to-back jumpers to put BYU up four but Bertholdt hit two from the free throw line to make it a 19-17 Cougar lead with 5:51 left in the first half.
The Cougars would go on a 14-2 run to end the first half and take a 33-19 lead into halftime. The Broncos only bucket came on a layup from Paine with 54 seconds remaining in the half. Santa Clara went 0-6 from the field before Paine made her shot.
Santa Clara shot 20.8% (5-24) from the field and 25.0% (2-8) from three in the first half. The Broncos had 21 rebounds, four assists, nine turnovers, two blocks, and one steal. Radanovich led the offense with five points on 2-4 shooting with one three. Montana Walters scored three points with two blocks and a steal while Bertholdt led the team with six rebounds.
BYU shot 34.4% (11-32) from the field and 33.3% (3-9) from three in the first half. The Cougars had 22 rebounds, eight assists, nine turnovers, one block, and three steals. Bailey led the offense with 14 points on 6-12 shooting with eight rebounds and two steals. Beeston scored six points while Garfield and three points and seven boards.
Bailey hit a jumper at 17:08 to start a 7-0 BYU run over 4:23 to get the Cougars out on top by 19. The Broncos missed five straight shots before Radanovich got Santa Clara back on the board with a three at 12:45 to make the score 42-26.
Santa Clara's deficit grew to a game-high 21 points at 11:42 on a three by Maeda but the Broncos came back with five points in a row. Raquel Avila made a pair from the charity stripe and Radanovich hit another three at 10:07 that made the score 47-31.
The Bronco's got the game within 11-points with 4:51 left on the clock. Radanovich drained her fourth three of the day and Paine followed with a jumper to make it 53-42.
The lead for BYU would get back out to as many as 17 and the Cougars would hang on for the 61-44 win.