Jan. 27, 2005
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Santa Clara University women's basketball team defeated San Diego 78-75 in West Coast Conference action tonight at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The win marks the Broncos' 10th of the season, surpassing last year's win total and placing the Broncos 10-9 overall, while moving the squad into a tie for second place in league standings with LMU at 4-2. The Toreros are fall to 7-12, 2-4.
Sophomore forward Ashley Gonnerman led a quartet of Broncos that reached double figures in scoring, posting 16 points on 7-13 shooting, adding five rebounds. Junior guard Michelle Cozad added 15 points while going 6-6 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Chandice Cronk hit four threes en route to 14 points, and Kayla Huss also went 6-6 from the charity stripe and finished with 11 points and four assists.
The Broncos were accurate tonight, shooting 51 percent overall, 56 percent from three-point range. Santa Clara hit 10 threes, marking the 10th time this season the team has made at least 10 baskets from behind the arc. SCU also made 82 percent (14-17) of its free throws.
Tiara Harris led San Diego with a season-high 23 points, and Amber Sprague and Sabine Loewe added 15 and 13 points, respectively. Ashley Voisinet led all rebounders with nine boards, while Harris and Loewe added five each. Polly Dong and Amanda Rego netted five assists each in other Torero performances.
The Broncos, who led 40-39 at the half, opened up a nine-point lead, 67-59, with 4:30 remaining and held on to defeat the Toreros for the sixth time in seven meetings.
Consecutive three-point baskets from Cronk and Cozad capped a 7-0 Santa Clara run in the later stages of the second half to break open a game that was close throughout.
With Santa Clara in-bounding from half court, leading 72-69 with 43 seconds remaining in regulation and 18 seconds remaining on the shot clock, USD elected to commit consecutive fouls in the open court on Huss, who promptly buried both attempts to give SCU a 74-69 advantage. Following a USD turnover, San Diego again fouled Huss, who then gave the Broncos a 76-69 edge with 32 ticks left after making two more free-throws.
The Broncos return to the Bay Area but remain on the road to close out the first half of conference play. They will visit San Francisco's War Memorial Gym on Saturday night. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
