SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – A difficult first quarter was too much for Santa Clara women's basketball to overcome despite a second half surge in a 70-59 defeat at Cal Poly Tuesday afternoon.

The Broncos (1-2) were just 2-of-17 from the field during the opening 10 minutes while also committing six turnovers. The Mustangs (3-1) took advantage and shot 50.0-percent, scoring the final 13 points of the quarter as part of a 15-0 run that saw them take a 19-5 lead a few seconds into the second quarter.

Santa Clara bounced back in the second and went 8-of-15 from the floor but Cal Poly stayed hot and was 9-of-16 to take a 38-23 lead into the break.

Almost all the first half damage was done by three players for the Mustangs who accounted for 36 points. Abbey Ellis and Sierra Campisano both scored 13 points with Kirsty Brown adding 10. The only other player with a bucket was Leslie Hunter.

For the game, the trio of Campisano (21), Ellis (17), and Brown (12), scored 50 points with Hannah Scanlan also adding 10.

The second half was kinder to Santa Clara and a 15-4 run that began in the third and ended early in the fourth allowed the Broncos to creep back into it. Lana Hollingsworth scored the final four points of the run to make it a 53-45 deficit with 8:28 left in the fourth.

Later in the period, seven in a row for the Broncos over a minute and a half in the got the score to 58-52 but Scanlan followed with six straight points of her own to stretch the lead back out to double figures.

Ashlyn Herlihy led the Broncos with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting while also adding four rebounds. Lindsey VanAllen added 12 points, including three 3-pointers, and five rebounds with Hollingsworth adding 10 and a team high seven boards.

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The Broncos head to UC Santa Barbara to take on the Gauchos Friday and Saturday. Both games are set for 5 p.m.

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