Pulsipher shoots BYU women past Santa Clara, one win from WCC title


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PROVO — Shooting against a zone defense is any 3-point specialist's dream; just ask BYU's Makenzi Morrison Pulsipher.

Getting used to each individual zone, though, can take a little time.

Pulsipher scored 13 of her game-high 25 points in the second quarter as the BYU women's basketball team won its 14th-straight game, 70-63, over Santa Clara to pull within a win over the West Coast Conference title Saturday afternoon at the Marriott Center.

"We practiced it all week, and we knew that Santa Clara is a zone team," said Pulsipher, who made 5-of-10 3-pointers and added three assists and three steals. "It's still tough, though; when a team zones, I feel like they do when a team can't shoot. Their zone was different; they were aware of where all of our shooters were at."

The Cougars (22-4, 14-1 WCC) pulled within a home win over San Diego on Thursday of clinching its first-ever West Coast Conference regular season title. Santa Clara (19-6, 10-4 WCC) was eliminated from league title contention with the loss. The Broncos entered the game on a seven-game winning streak, but shot just 36.8 percent from the field in taking their fifth loss in league play.

"This was a big game," BYU coach Jeff Judkins said. "We didn't play our best this week, but we played well in spurts, and that's what this team has been doing all year. Hopefully we can do a little better on the press, move the ball more and do better at closing games out.

"We've got one more game; if we won more, we're the champions."

Kalani Purcell totaled 17 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals for her 14th double-double of the season at BYU, and Lexi Eaton Rydalch added 12 points and three steals for BYU.

Photo: Luke Franke, Deseret News
Photo: Luke Franke, Deseret News

Lori Parkinson led the Broncos with 16 points, including eight in the final period.

But the game turned in the second quarter, after BYU managed just a 12-10 lead after the first 10 minutes.

"My first few shots weren't very pretty, so I had to focus in," Pulsipher said. "It's hard to shoot it and not worry about the defender flying at you. I just had to focus on (the shot), and that's all I can do: play depending on what they give me."

Santa Clara forced eight turnovers in the first quarter and held a quarter-high 6-3 lead early. The Cougars closed on a 4-1 run paced by Kristine Nielson's exploits off the bench, draining a 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the quarter to break a 9-9 tie early and taking a charge on the other end.

The Broncos forced eight turnovers in the first quarter, but only scored four points and shot just 24 percent from the field in the opening 10 minutes. From there, BYU turned the ball over just 12 times the rest of the game — including a zero in the second quarter turnover column.

"They do that in their zone; you can watch that zone on film, but once you get out there and get pressured, you find they have really good size in their guards," Judkins said. "You just have to get used to that, and I don't think we got in the right spots."

Pulsipher also found her shooter's touch in the second period. The former Alta shooter hit her second 3-pointer of the quarter to give BYU a four-point lead, 22-18 with 5:27 left in the half.

She dropped a third trey from the top of the key with 1:41 left in the half to push BYU ahead, 29-22, before Santa Clara ended the half on a 5-1 run to pull within four, 31-27, at the break.

Whatever was said in the BYU locker room at halftime, it worked.

Purcell made 8-of-12 shots from the field, and played all 40 minutes for the second-straight game. She pulled down 15 of her game-best 20 boards on the defensive end, then dished to a streaking Pulsipher, Rydalch or point guard Kylie Maeda, who had four points and five assists on the other end.

"For us to push the ball is a huge thing; Kenzi and Lexi are so much faster than a lot of girls, so it's easier for us to push it," said Purcell, who had a team-high six assists. "It's not just them going in for a layup, but it can also draw a double team and that might open someone else for a three. It helps everyone."

BYU opened the second half on a 7-2 run, including a quick steal and layup by Purcell that led to the Cougars' seventh point in 56 seconds to go up 38-29 with 8:39 on the clock.

Purcell knocked down a stepback jumper with 6:34 remaining in the quarter to give her 11 points and 13 rebounds, her 14th double-double of the season. "Kalani had an outstanding game, too; not just scoring, but rebounding," Judkins said. "She's the best rebounder in the league, and she proved it tonight and really played a great all-around game for us tonight."

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Rydalch gave BYU its first double-digit lead of the afternoon with a 3-pointer with 1:05 left in the quarter to go up 47-36, but Santa Clara's Kyla Martin nailed a three on the other end to pull within eight, 47-39, to start the final period.

Santa Clara hit a flurry of threes late, including Marie Bertholdt's trey with 2:08 remaining, to pull the Broncos within 10, 62-52, but the damage was already done.

The Broncos hit a pair of layups in the final 21 seconds to pull within 68-63, but BYU stayed ahead by nailing 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch from Pulsipher and Cassie Broadhead.

Bertholdt finished with 13 points and six rebounds for Santa Clara, which got 11 points from Martin and 10 from Morgan McGwire.

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