Jan. 29, 2011

Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Junior Candice Nichols poured in a career-high 33 points but Santa Clara outscored LMU 32-16 over the final 12 minutes for a 77-73 victory in the finale of the first half of West Coast Conference play Saturday afternoon at Leavey Center. Senior Renahy Young added 18 points for the Lions (10-11, 4-3 WCC), who see their five-game winning streak against the Broncos (7-14, 3-4 WCC) snapped.

Everything looked to be going LMU's way as the Lions jumped out to a 17-point first-half lead behind 27 combined points from Young and Nichols and 50% shooting from the floor. The Broncos would adjust at the half, however, and shoot 58% after the break, including 56% from three-point range, while knocking down 14-of-16 at the line to complete the comeback.

Nichols' 33 points are an LMU season-high and tied for the sixth-most points in a single game in program history. They are the most scored by a Lion since Bryn Britton had 34 against Long Beach State on December 6, 2001 and top her previous career-high of 22 points set against Cal Poly on December 19, 2009. Nichols had 15 of her points in the first half and 18 in the second, finishing 11-for-23 from the floor, 3-for-7 from three-point range, and 8-for-11 at the line. She added six rebounds.

With two three-pointers as part of her 18 points, Young moved into a tie with Amanda Patton for second place on LMU's career three-points made record list with 152, two shy of Lisa Helmers' record of 154. She had 12 of her 18 points in the first half. Freshman Camille Buckley added six points and a team-high seven rebounds but saw her double-double streak snap at four games.

LMU finished the contest shooting 39.4% (28-for-71) overall and 20% (5-for-20) from three-point range while connecting on 63.2% (12-for-19) at the line. The Lions turned the ball over a season-low seven times and forced 23 by the Broncos but could not capitalize on a 27-12 advantage in points off turnovers.

Four players scored in double figures for the Broncos, led by Lena Gipson's double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Ricki Radanovich added 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and Alyssa Shoji and Ashley Armstrong each had 12. Meagan Fulps chipped in eight points and 10 rebounds for Santa Clara, which shot 52.1% (25-for-48) overall and 50% (8-for-16) from long-range while converting a steady 86.4% (19-for-22) at the line. The Broncos also held a 43-31 rebounding edge.

It was tight in the opening four minutes until LMU rattled off a 10-0 run coming out of the first media timeout to turn a 7-4 deficit into 14-7 lead. A Ramirez layup, threes from Young and Nichols, and a Buckley o-board accounted for LMU's scoring and jump-started a larger 14-1 run that helped the Lions grow the lead to as many as 17, 32-15.

LMU's defense was clicking, forcing 13 first-half turnovers for a 20-2 advantage in points off turnovers. The Lions held SCU leading scorer Fulps scoreless while the combination of Young and Nichols was doing damage on the offensive end. The pair scored 15 of LMU's final 16 points in the half and combined for 27 as the Lions hit 50% from the floor to take a 40-28 lead into the break.

SCU immediately cut into the deficit coming out of the half, using a 12-5 run to make it 45-40 with 16:33 left. Nichols soon put things right, however, converting a three-point play after an offensive-rebound put-back by senior Melanie Ysaguirre and later adding a layup to go over her career-high as part of a 12-5 run that pushed the lead back to double digits at 57-45 with 12:20 left.

From that point on, however, the Broncos snatched back the momentum as LMU went over five minutes without scoring. Gipson got things going with a feed to Willinsky inside for a layup before grabbing an offensive rebound and laying it in herself. Armstrong then stripped Young and the Broncos took advantage of being in the bonus by converting six straight at the free throw line to take a 58-57 lead with 7:56 remaining. Everything was going right for the Broncos and a step-back three from Radanovich increased the lead to 61-57 to cap a 16-0 run.

Once again, the Lions turned to Nichols and she halted SCU's spurt by finishing off her third three-point play of the half to get the Lions within one before sophomore Courtney Collishaw went off the glass to hand the lead back to LMU, 62-61 with 6:26 left.

The Broncos were feeling it from deep, and threes by Armstrong and Fulps off-set four free throws from Young and Nichols to give the hosts a 67-66 lead. SCU then went inside to Gipson, who laid it in for a three-point advantage. Nichols could not get her layup to drop at the other end and Fulps turned the corner for a layup and a 71-66 SCU lead with a minute to play.

The Lions put the ball in the hands of Young, who delivered with a layup to cut it to three. Shoji was fouled and made both but was answered by a coast-to-coast layup by Nichols after a timeout. The Lions set up a press and thought they had forced a turnover when Gipson bobbled it out of bounds but it was ruled off LMU and Shoji closed things out at the line.

The Lions return home to kick off the second round of WCC play with a pair of games next week. On Thursday, LMU will host San Diego at 7 p.m. in the annual Pack the House Pink game to raise Breast Cancer Awareness. Fans wearing pink will get in for just $2 and be entered to win one of eight pink iPods that will be given away throughout the contest. Pink's Hot Dogs will also be on-hand to hand out free hot dogs after the contest. The homestand concludes Saturday at 2 p.m. against Saint Mary's.