SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara women's basketball was up 14 at the half and as many as 18 in the second half but couldn't hold on and lost to BYU 66-63 Thursday night in the regular season finale.
The Broncos (13-10, 9-8 WCC) had two chances to tie the game in the final seconds. Down four with just eight second left, an intentional foul was called on Paisley Harding giving Santa Clara two free throws and the ball. Lindsey VanAllen made one of two and on the ensuing possession Lana Hollingsworth's 3-pointer came up just short.
After Sara Hamson made one of two from the charity stripe on the other end, Merle Wiehl had a rushed chance to tie the game but it was blocked, and the clock expired.
It was a game of two halves, with the Broncos dominating in the first and the Cougars controlling the second.
In the second half, BYU shot 55.2-percent from the field and was 4-of-6 from downtown after registering just a 29.6-percent mark from the floor in the first half. The Cougars also committed just two turnovers during the final 20 minutes, after 10 in the first two periods.
BYU trailed until the 7:49 mark in the fourth quarter but an 11-0 run early in the period got the Cougars on top. Kaylee Smiler started things with a 3-pointer at 9:05 and an acrobatic layup from Shaylee Gonzales at 6:54 put them on top 57-51, a lead they wouldn't surrender.
The comeback started in earnest with Santa Clara up a game-high 18 in the third. BYU went on a 13-1 run to get within single digits with Gonzales scoring eight, including a pair of 3-pointers. Her layup at 2:05 cut the Broncos' lead to 47-41.
Gonzales led the Cougars comeback with a game high 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the arc. Lauren Gustin added 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the double-double with Paisley Harding also registering a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.
As tough as the second half was for Santa Clara, the first half was that good. The Broncos were an impressive 7-of-13 from downtown in the opening two periods and got the lead to as many as 14. The last bucket of the opening half by VanAllen gave Santa Clara a 38-24 lead at the break.
VanAllen finished with a team high 17 points while also grabbing five rebounds. Merle Wiehl added 16, including 14 in the first half and eight during the Broncos 12-0 run to start the game, while Ashlyn Herlihy scored 12 and pulled down seven rebounds.
Check out the @HerculesTires Strong Plays of the Game from Thursday's action against BYU!#StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos #WCCHoops pic.twitter.com/Nd4DZAq9sH
— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) February 26, 2021
��️ Hear from head coach Bill Carr on tonight's game against BYU.
— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) February 26, 2021
Postgame interview presented by @ROATweets.#StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/g5dOU8ABED
NOTES
- Santa Clara is now 2-21 all-time against BYU.
- The Broncos will finish with a winning record overall and in conference play for the first time since 2015-16 when they made the WNIT. That season they went 23-9 and 13-5 in WCC play.
- Ashlyn Herlihy remains at 13th all-time at Santa Clara with 1,142 career points.
UP NEXT
The Broncos await their seed in the upcoming West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas beginning Thursday, March 4. The Broncos are currently in fourth, just behind San Diego and just ahead of San Francisco.
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