PORTLAND, Ore. --- In a thrilling game that was close all night long and still in doubt in the closing minutes, the Santa Clara Broncos edged the Portland Pilots 72-66 in a West Coast Conference women's basketball contest played on Thursday at the Chiles Center. Julie Spencer led the Pilots with 25 clutch points, and she reached 1,000 points for her career in the process.
 
After both teams exchanged runs in the third and fourth quarters, the Pilots found themselves leading by 13 early in the final frame. Darian Slaga hit three straight jumpers during a 15-0 Portland run, and Josie Matz converted a traditional three-point play after getting fouled on a lay-in. Haylee Andrews added a lay-up to give Portland their biggest lead at 53-40 with 9:23 left, but that's when the Broncos came storming back with a 12-0 outburst.
 
Slaga momentary halted Santa Clara's run with another jumper, and moments later Spencer hit a huge shot to make it a two-point game in Portland's favor. Slaga then answered a Bronco lay-in with a three-pointer to give the lead back to the Pilots with 2:55 remaining, but Emily Wolph responded with consecutive three's to allow the Broncos to surge in front 65-62.
 
The team's then exchanged buckets and turnovers before a timely pass from Tia Hay found Naomi Jimenez for a lay-up that pushed SCU's edge back to three points. The lead would stand as the Broncos made enough free throws down the stretch and forced some misses by the Pilots.
 
Spencer, a senior forward out of Chehalis, just missed a career-high in points, and she becomes the 26th Pilot in the history of the program to reach the 1,000-point milestone. Slaga, who reached 1,000 career points earlier this season, finished with 16 points against the Broncos, and Andrews chipped in with 12 for Portland (9-10, 1-7 WCC).
 
Hay scored a team-high 22 points for Santa Clara (10-9, 3-5 WCC).
 
Both teams shot exactly 27-for-59 (.458) from the field, but the Broncos were 12 of 29 on three-pointers, while the Pilots were just 4-for-20 from beyond the arc.
 
The Pilots scored the game's first five points with a three-pointer by Slaga and a lay-up by Spencer, but the Broncos went ahead by scoring the next nine points. The Pilots responded, and the two teams exchanged baskets until the end of the quarter. Spencer had nine of the first 14 points for Portland, who led by two after the opening frame.
 
It remained a close game into the second period, and Andrews knocked down a big three to give the Pilots a slight 21-19 edge with 4:58 remaining in the half. Moments later Matz hit a tough lay-up down the lane, and the Portland lead had grown to six. But Santa Clara ended the half with a quick 8-0 run, and they'd take a 29-27 lead at the break.
 
On Saturday the Pilots welcome the San Francisco Dons to the Chiles Center for a WCC game, which is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.