LAS VEGAS – In the final nonconference action of the season, Santa Clara women's basketball rolled past New Mexico State 60-46 Wednesday afternoon on the final day of the Play 4 Kay Shootout.

The Broncos (5-6) used their size to dominate down low. They outscored the Aggies (7-6) 32-6 in points in the paint and shot 44 percent from the field while picking up 18 assists on 21 made buckets. Santa Clara also got to the line 21 times to just six for New Mexico State.

The Broncos started the game on a 7-0 run and never looked back. After the Aggies followed with back-to-back buckets, Santa Clara scored another seven straight behind five points from Marie Bertholdt to take a 14-4 lead with two minutes to go in the opening period.

Morgan McGwire and Bertholdt combined for 46 points to lead the Broncos. McGwire scored a game-high 28 on 10 of 17 shooting to go with eight rebounds. Bertholdt scored 18 and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers while grabbing six boards.

Santa Clara held New Mexico State to just 35 percent shooting and allowed a season-low offensive output against a Division I opponent.

Brooke Salas scored a team-high 12 for the Aggies and hit three from beyond the arc while adding four rebounds and four assists. Moriah Mack and Jeneva Toilolo each scored 10.

With the score 33-24 after a Mack layup with two minutes to go in the first half, McGwire knocked down a jumper on the next Bronco possession. The Santa Clara lead never got back down to single-digits.

A jumper by Salas with 8:13 to go in the third made the score 40-29 but Santa Clara followed with a 6-0 run. New Mexico State never get closer than 55-43 the rest of the way.

The Broncos are back in action Thursday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. vs. BYU in Leavey in the West Coast Conference opener.

Connect with the Broncos on Social Media
Athletics: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Women's Basketball: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram