Web update: Broncos down Long Beach State 70-55

By Cecile Nguyen

Defense was the name of the game in the Santa Clara women's basketball team won 70-55 against Long Beach State Sunday afternoon at Leavey Center in a non-conference game.

"We were focused on defense today," said Tracey Walker. "We knew Long Beach like to cut and were a fast team so we worked on defense in practice and it really carried over into the game, especially when they were making their push at the end."

Santa Clara forced 11 turnovers in the game, while Long Beach's defense hounded the Broncos, forcing them to use up the majority of their 30 seconds clock in four consecutive possessions late in the first half.

As of Nov. 23, the Broncos are No. 1 in the West Coast Conference in defense, as well as scoring, three-point field goals made, and three-point field goal percentage.

Santa Clara (4-2) is tied for second place in the WCC with Pepperdine.

Again, senior Jen Gottschalk led the team in scoring with 26 points in the win over Long Beach.

"Jen has been doing everything for us right now," Walker said. "I know that it's her senior year and she wants to go out with a bang."

The 49ers (1-3) were lead by Ally Wade, who had 15 points, seven rebounds, and was 4 for 5 beyond the arc. Long Beach shot an impressive 69 percent from behind the three point line.

Early in the first half, senior guard Walker's two points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal led Santa Clara as the Broncos dominated the 49ers and got out to an early 11-4, forcing LBSU to commit three fouls and six turnovers.

Walker finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

After a defensive rebound by Walker early in the first half she pushed the ball up court to a wide open Chandice Cronk whose lay up pushed the Broncos lead to 17-7 just nine minutes into the game.

Gottschalk extend Santa Clara's lead when she stepped around a 49ers forward and went with a right-handed hook with less than five minutes in the first half to extend the Broncos' lead to 26-13.

After a quick three by Long Beach's Karina Figueroa, Bronco Elizabeth Doran's own three pushed the lead back up to 13.

At halftime Santa Clara remain in control of the game with a commanding 34-21 lead. Forward Gottschalk's 15 points leads all players followed closely by 49ers' Figueroa's 11 points.

Fourteen turnovers by the 49ers contributed to Santa Clara's eight fast break points in the first half.

Santa Clara continues to dominate in the paint, scoring 18 points in the paint to LBSU's two.

In the start of the second half, Gottschalk nearly had a steal but Long Beach recovered the ball. The Broncos continue their stellar defense forcing the 49ers to a five-second inbound violation.

Santa Clara just could not clear the glass as Long Beach had gathered multiple offensive rebounds and had second chances put the ball in the net.

Vocal 49ers fans urged their team onward as Long Beach continued their fight back into the game.

An 11-3 run by Long Beach down the stretch cut the score to 59-50 with less than three minutes left in the game after the Broncos lead as much as 20 points.

But seven consecutive points by Bronco guard Walker pushed up Santa Clara's lead as the Broncos went to win their fourth game of the season 70-55.

The Broncos entered the game 3-2 after falling to Alaska Anchorage in the title game of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout last week. Cronk and Gottschalk were both named to the All-Tournament team in Alaska.

Contact Cecile Nguyen at (408) 551-1918 or cngueyn5@scu.edu.