Feb. 14, 2004
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University women's basketball team fell to Pepperdine 73-53 tonight in West Coast Conference action at the Leavey Center. Seniors Jennie Rondel and Whitney Sutak came off the bench and combined for 32 points to lead the Broncos, but Santa Clara falls to 7-16, 3-7. Four Waves reached double figures in scoring, led by Shandrika Lee's 18, as their record improves to 14-10, 8-3.
Rondel went 7-12 from the field as she posted 17 points. Sutak hit three threes en route to her 15. She and junior Quinn Thomas each recorded five assists, while Thomas and Rondel grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds apiece.
Pepperdine out-shot the Broncos 47 to 28 percent and out-rebounded SCU 45-32. Jennifer Lacy and Shanell Law added 14 points each, while Nicole Funn turned in a 10-point, nine-rebound performance.
The Waves never trailed in this contest, and held a 15-8 lead early on, but the Broncos went on a modest 6-0 run, sparked by Sutak's entry into the game. She hit a three from the left win and then assisted on a Rondel lay-up on the Broncos next possession. The Broncos were within two for most of the rest of the half, but a Pepperdine spurt late in the period, capped by a Law three from the right side, gave the visitors a 10-point lead. Santa Clara reduced that deficit by one before intermission to make it a 35-26 game.
The Waves put the game out of reach with a 20-8 run to start the second half. A Jasmine Clarendon jumper gave Pepperdine a 19-point advantage, 53-34 midway through the second half. Pepperdine made eight of 10 attempts from the charity stripe in the final two minutes to seal their victory.
Santa Clara remains at home and will play San Diego next Thursday at 7 p.m.
