Nov. 25, 2006

Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Washington State freshman Marisa Stotler's 25 points was not enough as the Cougars lose an 80-72 decision to the Santa Clara Broncos, Saturday at the Leavey Center.

Stotler's second half performance kept the Cougars close as she was 10-for-15 and scored 19 of those 25 points in the second half. Stotler recorded her second double-double of the season as she also pulled down 10 rebounds.

The Cougars drop to 1-4 on the season, while the Broncos improve to 5-1.

Senior Kate Benz added 13 points and sophomore Ebonee Coates posted 11 for WSU. Benz was 3-of-6 from behind the arc tying her career mark of 3-pointers made.

The Cougars started the first half with a 5-0 advantage, but after a Chandice Cronk jumper, Santa Clara went on a 14-0 run to lead 14-5 with 14:26 remaining in the half. The Cougars regained the lead at 18-16 after a Stotler lay-in with 8:40 left. Again, the Broncos recaptured the lead and went into halftime up 39-32.

The Broncos got up by as many as nine points early in the second half before the Cougars tied the game at 50 on a Coates' jumper with 14:38 left in the game. The Cougars managed to lead by six points at 59-65 with 8:47 remaining. Santa Clara took the lead for the last time with 5:39 left, at 68-67 and hung on for the victory.

Santa Clara was led by the outside shooting of Conk. Conk was 5-of-9 from 3-point range and finished the evening with 21 points. The Broncos had four other players scoring in double digits.

The Cougars return to action for a pair of home games against Montana State, Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m., and Eastern Washington, Saturday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.