Basketball Off to Hot Start

Santa Clara (12-3) sits second in WCC after strong opening

Jack PriceTHE SANTA CLARAJanuary 7, 2016 [dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter a blazing start to their season, the Santa Clara Women’s Basketball team take on Brigham Young University and the University of San Diego this week at home. Both teams are behind the Broncos by a slim margin in the WCC standings.

“BYU and San Diego are very good and very different teams,” said junior Marie Bertholdt.” “We are taking it one game at a time, and doing everything we can to be fully prepared so that we can come out and dominate when the game comes around. We are excited to take on another opponent and continue to stay humble and hungry.”

The Broncos, now 12-3, recently ended their 12 game winning streak in a heated matchup against Gonzaga this past weekend when the Broncos lost 53-44.

They had not lost a game in over a month.

Of their 12 wins, the Broncos won nine by at least 10 points. This is due in part to their ability to score consistently–averaging 68.3 points per game, creating an average scoring margin of +12.1 points on their opponents.

On the defensive side, Santa Clara performs as well as, and sometimes even better than its offense, indicated by its success thus far.

The Broncos have forced 24.9 turnovers, helping the team get 13.4 assists per game, all with the help of a relatively young team as three of the usual starters are underclassmen. 

One of which, sophomore Morgan McGwire, manages 16 defensive rebounds and 9.6 points per game. 

Junior Marie Bertholdt has been a main force on the team, starting every game this season and posting 11.2 ppg in conference.

“I think our strengths will continue to be the things we have focused on since day one. Being the tougher, more disciplined, and more hard working team than our opponent,” Bertholdt said. “Those are going to continue to be the basis to our success on top of things like rebounding, our defense, and taking care of the ball.” 

This Thursday the Broncos take on BYU at 6 p.m. at home. The Broncos are undefeated so far at the Leavey Center.

The upcoming game is the first matchup against the Cougars this season. BYU, like Santa Clara, averages 68.3 points per game and is consistently a tough team year to year.

On Saturday, the Broncos matchup with the Toreros at home at 2 p.m.

San Diego is also known to be a powerhouse and is undefeated on the road, 12-2 overall.

Star player, Malina Hood, currently boasts a remarkable 20.9 points per game this season.

“We are just making sure we are dialed in each day,” Bertholdt said. “We are trying to stay focused and have lots of attention to details and work hard each and every day to get better and be ready for our opponent.”

Contact Jack Price at jhprice@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.