MALIBU, Calif. – Turnovers and a tough night at the free throw line thwarted Santa Clara women's basketball's big second half comeback in a 79-71 overtime defeat at Pepperdine Thursday night.

The Broncos (8-7, 2-2 WCC), who trailed by 15 at the half, stormed back with a big third quarter and Emily Wolph's 3-pointer as time expired in regulation extended the game but Santa Clara committed three of its 20 turnovers in the extra session and the Waves (8-7, 2-3 WCC) took advantage with four of their 18 points off turnovers for the night during the period despite not making a field goal for the final 3:11.

Neither team shot well from the floor over the final five minutes but nine free throws in 10 attempts by Pepperdine was the difference. On the night, the Waves were 19-for-24 from the charity stripe while the Broncos were just 8-for-18.

Santa Clara managed to hold the shooting advantage at 45.2-percent from the field to 36.4-percent for Pepperdine, but the 20-6 turnover differential meant the Waves made the same number of shots (28) while attempting 15 more (77).

The game only made it to overtime because of Wolph's clutch shooting. After an offensive rebound on a missed 3-pointer with seven seconds to go, a pass came out to Wolph with time winding down and she connected from deep as the buzzer sounded to even it at 66-66.

She finished with a game and season high 20 points and tied her season highs with four 3-pointers and five assists.

The Broncos briefly took a lead in the fourth but six in a row for Pepperdine put the Waves on top 60-56 after Jayla Ruffus-Milner's layup at 7:30.

Paige Fecske led Pepperdine with 16 points despite hitting just 5 of 17 from the floor. Barbara Sitanggan added 14 with eight rebounds and seven assists while Monique Andriuolo had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Ruffus-Milner also reached double figures with 10.

A 19-4 run over five and a half minutes in the third quarter brought Santa Clara all the way back from a 15-point halftime deficit when Wolph hit a triple to even the score at 47-all with 3:13 left in the period. Ashlyn Herlihy chipped in six of her 14 points, including back-to-back jumpers, during the run as well.

Herlihy also grabbed a game high 14 boards for her second double-double of the season. No other Bronco was in double figures with Tamia Braggs scoring eight and Merle Wiehl and Lindsey VanAllen each adding seven.

Things got off to a slow start on offense for Santa Clara who found itself down nine after the first quarter. Pepperdine would stretch its lead to as many as 17 in the second and went into the break leading 41-26.

NOTES

• Santa Clara is now 40-40 all-time against Pepperdine.
• With one block, Lauren Yearwood now has 103 blocks in her career, good for fourth in Santa Clara history. Next up is Lindsey Leo (2010-13) with 113.
• Tamia Braggs made her fifth start in a row and Lexie Pritchard her second. Pritchard is in for Broncos' leading scorer Tia Hay who is out with a foot injury.
• Santa Clara is 0-2 in overtime this year. They also fell to Delaware 81-80 in Fullerton on November 30.

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The Broncos stay in Southern California and play at LMU Saturday at 5 p.m.

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