RENO, Nev. — With conference play looming, the Santa Clara University women's basketball team continues to build up steam.
Sunday was another example, as even with a limited roster and playing at high altitude on the road, the Broncos earned their third straight victory by double-digits and their sixth in the last seven games, beating host Nevada, 66-56, at the Lawlor Events Center.
The Broncos (8-4) needed a spark on Sunday with their numbers trimmed a bit for their lone road game of the month. Tess Heal stepped up and gave it to them, bouncing back into the spotlight after averaging only 7.0 points per game in three contests last week. She scored 26 Sunday – her third 20-point performance of the season – and grabbed five rebounds while dishing three assists to lead Santa Clara.
Q3, 7:24 | #Broncos 40, @NevadaWBB 30
— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) December 11, 2022
Tess Heal turns a turnover into a bucket on the other end!
She's got 2️⃣0️⃣ points already and we're only 2 1/2 minutes into the 3rd quarter! ��#StampedeTogether | #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/rtydDZkVOH
Ashley Hiraki hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored a season-high 20 points, giving Santa Clara two 20-point scorers on the day. Her six treys were the most any Bronco has made in three seasons, since Emily Wolph (vs. Pepperdine, Feb. 8) and Merle Wiehl (vs. Saint Mary's, Feb. 27) both made six in 2020.
Q4, 9:32 | #Broncos 50, @NevadaWBB 44
— Santa Clara Women's Basketball (@Santaclarawbb) December 11, 2022
Ashley Hiraki starts the Broncos' 4th quarter off right with a 3-pointer to put them back up by 6️⃣!#StampedeTogether | #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/2ji3zFvwgi
Nevada (3-6) got a big 26-point, 11-rebound double-double from Megan Ormiston, but the Wolfpack was held to just eight points in the second quarter and 12 in the fourth. Nevada went 2 for 14 (14.3%) in the second quarter alone and would shoot 31.3% in the game. It dominated the rebounding battle, 48-37, but only scored 12 second-chance points off 23 offensive rebounds, missing too many of its own opportunities to close the gap against the Broncos.
Santa Clara shut the door hard in the fourth quarter, coming out of the gate with a 3-pointer from Hiraki to push its lead to six. The Broncos would shoot 57.1% in the game's final 10 minutes and only committed one foul, never sending Nevada to the free-throw line in the last quarter.
Santa Clara next returns home for its final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday. The Broncos host South Bay rival San Jose State at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.
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