SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara University women's basketball team learned Monday what it felt like Friday for their opponent after the Broncos came from behind to win in overtime. Santa Clara led by as much as nine during Monday's first half before visiting Sacramento State eventually overcame the deficit, then held the Broncos off for a 73-63 non-conference win at Leavey Center.
Santa Clara (1-2) had three players score in double figures Monday. Ayzhiana Basallo was the team's leading scorer for the second game in a row, pouring in 17 while shooting 50.0% from the floor and going 3 for 5 (60.0%) from deep. Tess Heal scored 16 points for the second consecutive game and added four rebounds and four assists. Olivia Pollerd added 12 points with two 3-pointers, two rebounds and a block. The sophomore University of Washington transfer has scored at least 10 points in each of her first three games as a Bronco.
Q3, 4:24 | @SacStateWBB 52, #Broncos 47
— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) November 15, 2022
She can do it all -- even falling "gracefully"! ��
Tess Heal gets the ball to Olivia Pollerd for the lay-in to pull Santa Clara within 5️⃣. That's her 4️⃣th assist of the game#StampedeTogether | #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/rjxk7ou6Gn
Sacramento State (1-1) was led by two 20-point performances. Kahlaijah Dean scored 27 points while only missing four of her 15 shot attempts (11 for 15). She created havoc for the Broncos everywhere, going 3 for 4 from deep and flirting with a triple-double thanks to nine assists and six rebounds on top of two steals. Isnell Natabou scored 23 points while also only missing four shots (10 for 14). She added seven rebounds and an assist. Katie Peneueta threw in a double-double with 14 points on four 3-pointers and 10 rebounds, as well as two blocks.
Listen to head @coachbillcarr's postgame interview following tonight's game versus Sacramento State ��#StampedeTogether | #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/WYVW94gFkT
— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) November 15, 2022
Sacramento State shot 53.7% as a team, 42.1% from beyond the arc and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. The Hornets won the rebounding battle, 35-29.
Sacramento State's comeback was fueled by a key stretch in the second quarter and into the beginning of the third, during which it went on a 20-4 run to erase a nine-point, 29-20, deficit and take the lead for good at 40-33.
Up to that point in the game, Santa Clara (1-2) was shooting a blazing 57.9% from the floor, including going 4 for 7 (57.1%) from 3-point range. But after Ayzhiana Basallo hit her first of three treys in the game to put the Broncos up, 29-20, two minutes into the second quarter, the shooting went cold. They would make just two of 13 shot attempts the rest of the quarter, a 15.4% clip.
Meanwhile, the Hornets made 8 of 14 shots (57.1%), including five in a row – three consecutive 3-pointers to boot – to end the first half.
Santa Clara pulled to within three or four points of Sacramento State on three occasions in the second half. But after the first time, they went 0 for 3 from the floor. After the second time, they went 0 for 5 from the floor. And after the third time, they went 0 for 2 from the floor – a combined 0 for 10 following getting the score to within three or four points.
The Broncos head out on their first road trip of the 2022-23 season starting Thursday when they face CSUN. They complete their Southern California swing on Saturday at Cal Baptist. Fans can find all live coverage links on the Broncos' schedule page.
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