WCC Tournament Central | Bracket

LAS VEGAS – Santa Clara women's basketball opened the West Coast Conference Tournament with a 72-65 overtime win over San Francisco Thursday afternoon from the Orleans Arena.

The Broncos (12-18) won the game in the extra session from the free throw line, going a perfect 10 of 10 during the period and 15 of 16 for the game, and ending the game on a 14-3 run after the Dons (12-19) scored the first four points in overtime.

Santa Clara also used its depth to outlast San Francisco. The Dons played just six, getting most of their scoring from Mikayla Williams and Leilah Vigil, but the Broncos got at least four points, a field goal, and 15 minutes from all nine that saw action.

Tia Hay, Merle Wiehl, and Emily Wolph all scored 11 points to lead the attack. Hay added seven assists and Wiehl chipped in six boards. Lindsey VanAllen scored nine on 6 of 6 shooting from the free throw line and Naomi Jimenez just missed a double-double with nine points, a season high, and 11 boards, one off her career high set earlier this year.

The game almost didn't go to overtime with both teams having a chance to win on their final possession. After a defensive stop, Hay had a chance at a game winner, but her contested attempt was off the mark and the game remained tied after 40 minutes.

Prior to the close finish, a run of 13-3 for the Dons put them on top for the first time since the opening possession of the second half. Lucie Hoskova and Vigil both scored five points with Vigil's a 3-pointer making the score 58-57 with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter.

Williams led all players with 21 points and was 8 of 12 from the field with eight rebounds while Vigil scored 17 and pulled down 16 boards for the double-double. Hoskova and Abby Rathbun both scored nine with Kia Vaalavirta scoring seven to go with five assists.

All even at the break, Santa Clara scored six in a row after the Dons scored the first bucket of the second half to take back the lead. Jimenez connected on a pair of layups with her second giving the Broncos a 40-36 advantage.

A six-point Santa Clara lead evaporated when San Francisco hit back-to-back 3-pointers, the second banked in by Williams as the shot clock expired, to start an 8-0 run that gave the Dons a 31-29 lead with 2:50 left in the opening half.

Three buckets in a row for San Francisco gave the Dons their first lead of the day. Williams opened the run with a layup and closed it with another at 5:03 that gave her team a 13-12 lead.

Despite a stretch of seven misses in a row, the Broncos still shot 8-for-18 in the first quarter and had an 18-13 lead at the end of the period after they scored the final six points with Lexie Pritchard making a pair of layups.

HIGHLIGHTS

HIGHLIGHTS | Best of the Broncos from Thursday's victory!#StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos #WCCHoops pic.twitter.com/AjDbCMTtfO

— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) March 6, 2020

QUOTABLE

Head coach Bill Carr and Emily Wolph address the media after Thursday's 72-65 victory over San Francisco in the @WCCSports Tournament.#StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos #WCCHoops pic.twitter.com/Akag4jQiOk

— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) March 6, 2020

NOTES

• Santa Clara is now 64-41 all-time against San Francisco.
• With one block, Lauren Yearwood now has 117 in her Santa Clara career, putting her at third all-time. Morgan McGwire (2014-18) is in second place with 138.
• The Broncos had 18 assists on 26 made baskets.
• Santa Clara has now played five overtime games this season. The Broncos lost the first three but have won the last two.

UP NEXT
The Broncos take on fifth-seeded Pacific tomorrow at noon.

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