Tess Heal scored a game-high 20 points, but Santa Clara’s cold shooting in the fourth quarter allowed Portland to escape with a 63-61 win in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference women’s tournament on Monday in Las Vegas.
The second seeded Broncos (24-8) were up 12 at halftime and led 55-51 midway through the fourth quarter before the Pilots (20-12) went on their second 10-0 run of the game and never relinquished the lead.
The Broncos got as close as two points when Olivia Pollerd and Heal made 3-pointers around a Portland layup, but Heal’s shot at the buzzer was blocked.
Santa Clara had won nine in a row to finish second to No. 14 ranked Gonzaga in the WCC regular-season standings. Now the Broncos’ NCAA Tournament fate will be determined during Sunday’s selection show.
The Broncos split the regular season series with the No. 3 seeded Pilots, winning 66-58 at the Leavey Center three weeks ago.
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SCU appeared in control early again on Monday, opening the game on a 10-3 run and leading 18-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Broncos were up 30-18 at halftime.
The Pilots, who play Gonzaga in the WCC title game on Tuesday, used a pair of 10-point runs to complete the comeback.
The Broncos shot nearly 40 percent from the field in the game, but were just 4-for-14 in the fourth quarter.
Heal, who also had eight assists and seven rebounds, went 11 for 12 from the free throw line. Pollerd made five 3-points and finished with 15 points, and Lara Edmanson added 14 points and six rebounds.
