Dec. 18, 2004
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Santa Clara University senior guard Quinn Thomas nailed seven three-point field goals en route to setting a career-high 33 points, but the Bronco women's basketball team fell to UW-Green Bay 85-69 this afternoon at the Phoenix Sports Center.
Thomas scored 58 points for the Broncos in "America's Dairyland" state this weekend, and topped a career-high 25 points she had just set Thursday night in Madison. Her seven threes was one short of tying an individual game record for the Bronco program. She shot .500 from the field and added five rebounds and four assists in the all-around performance. Santa Clara falls to 3-6 on the season.
The Phoenix was led by Tiffany Mor's 26-point effort and is now 8-2 on the season.
Santa Clara leads the country in three-point field goals made, averaging 9.4 per game, and used the long ball once again to its fullest advantage to keep the contest close. Down by as many as 10 points early in the first half, the Broncos hit five treys in a four-minute span, including three straight from Michelle Cozad, to give the Broncos a 24-22 lead at 6:53. Thomas hit five from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes and had 19 points by intermission.
Santa Clara made nine threes in the first half this afternoon and finished with 12, marking the sixth time in nine outings that the Broncos have made 10 or more threes.
Cozad's trio of threes helped turn an 18-9 deficit into a two-point advantage, after the Broncos made those five three pointers consecutively. There were seven ties in the first half, after the teams traded leads six times to close out the final five minutes of the period. Another Thomas three put SCU ahead by three, but Green Bay was able to tie the game at 29 on a three from Tricia Grassell. Although both teams shot over .500 in the frame, UWGB converted 17 points on 11 first-half Bronco turnovers to take a 38-37 edge into the locker room.
Thomas started the second half with yet another three, this one from the right wing, impressing the crowd of more than 1,300. Green Bay stayed slightly ahead and owned a seven-point advantage at the first media time out.
UWGB held a double-digit lead through most of the second half, but the Broncos stayed strong and slowly chipped away at the lead, going on a 10-1 run. It was capped on the fast break, as Thomas faked the pass and layed it in to pull SCU within four, 67-63 inside five. The Phoenix returned that lead to eight pretty quickly, and out-scored SCU 18-6 to close the contest, including making all 10 free throw attempts in the final minute.
Santa Clara out-rebounded an opponent for only the second time this season, besting UWGB on the boards 33-30. Kasey Monteith led the team with seven, and Ashley Graham followed with six. Cozad was the only other Bronco in double digits, adding 13 points. Lauren Michalski also came off the bench and scored eight. Graham recorded six of the team's 17 assists.
Green Bay shot 57 percent from the field and also saw 19 points from Nicole Soulis and 13 from Abby Scharlow. Mor led all rebounders with eight.
Santa Clara will spend the holidays at home, closing the non-conference season with four consecutive contests at the Leavey Center. The Broncos return to action on Tuesday, hosting Tulsa at 7 p.m.
