March 6, 2005

Box Score

Gonzaga - Santa Clara Post Game Quotes
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Tournament MVP Michelle Cozad scored 22 points and Santa Clara beat Gonzaga 77-66 on Sunday, snapping the nation's longest winning streak at 23 games and winning the West Coast Conference tournament.

Gonzaga was trying to become the first team to go unbeaten in the WCC regular season and tournament, but now the No. 24 Bulldogs will have to hope to be invited to their first NCAA tournament. The men's team has gotten that far every year since 1999.

The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 25 before making a late run against the Broncos.

Santa Clara (17-13), the conference tournament host, will be making its first NCAA appearance since 2002 when it lost in the first round. It is the Broncos' third WCC title and first since 1998.

Ashley Graham had 17 points, all in the first half, and Quinn Thomas added 14 points and six rebounds for Santa Clara, which tied a school record with 14 3-pointers. It is the fourth time this season the Broncos have made 14 treys in a game.

Ashley Burke scored a season-high 28 points and had eight rebounds for Gonzaga (27-3), which didn't have WCC player of the year Shannon Mathews in the starting lineup because of a right ankle sprain.

The point guard was injured Saturday midway through the first half of Gonzaga's 58-40 semifinal win over Pepperdine. Mathews, whose scoring average of 11.6 points ranks second on the team, didn't return against the Waves and wasn't expected to play against the Broncos. But she checked in at 15:27 of the first half.

Mathews scored just six points and wasn't a factor in the game, spending much of her time riding a stationary bicycle behind the Gonzaga bench.

Santa Clara led by 14 at halftime then opened the second half with a 20-9 run to take control for good. Thomas made three 3-pointers during the stretch and the Broncos opened a 66-41 lead.

Santa Clara stretched the advantage to 71-48 before going scoreless the next six minutes. Gonzaga responded with a 14-0 run to pull within nine points, but couldn't get closer.

They deserved it today," Gonzaga head coach Kelly Graves said. "They outplayed us in every phase, especially when it counted. Those guys put it all together. Hats off to them." Graves believes the Bulldogs 27-3 overall record, 14-0 WCC record and the 23-game winning streak are a good enough resume to earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

I hadn't really thought about it until a few minutes ago when I was talking to the team," Graves said. "I thought we were going to win this tournament. But I think with our resume this team deserves it. We dont' have any bad losses and we have some good wins."

A NCAA Tournament bid would be a first for the Bulldogs, who played in the WNIT last season as well as 1994. The Bulldogs three losses are in tournament championship games to the host school - the University of New Mexico in the Airport University Inn Thanksgiving Classic, to Arizona State University in the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic and to the Broncos on Sunday.

"I don't remember how I'm supposed to feel after a loss," Graves said somewhat tongue-in-cheek. "It's been since Dec. 4 since we've lost and I remember now why I don't like the feeling. I figured it (the winning streak) was going to end, I was just hoping it was not today."

The Bulldogs will now await Selection Sunday this coming week to see if they are going to their inaugural NCAA Tournament.

For the Broncos, Graham hadn't reached double figures since Jan. 8 but she had three 3-pointers and made three free throws during a 21-9 run in the first half that gave the Broncos a 37-26 lead.

Joining Cozad on the all-tournament team were Burke, Graham, Kayla Huss of the Broncos and Jennifer Lacy of Pepperdine University.