SANTA CRUZ, Calif. --- The Santa Clara Broncos shot a blistering 71 percent in the first half and built a double-digit lead before prevailing 84-65 over the Portland Pilots in a West Coast Conference women's basketball game played on Saturday afternoon at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Alex Fowler led the Pilots with 16 points and six rebounds.
 
The Pilots were connecting from deep early as Fowler, Haylee Andrews, and Maddie Muhlheim each hit a first-quarter three. Fowler then scored the first six points of the second quarter to break 17-17 tie and give Portland a slight lead. A three from Rose Pflug and a nice lay-in by McKelle Meek helped the Pilots stay in front, but the Broncos soon surged ahead by going on a 13-0 run.
 
Andrews ended the scoring drought with a floater on the lane, but the Broncos kept shooting a high percentage and led by 10 at the break.
 
In the third, the Broncos extended their lead with a 12-2 run, which put them in front by 19. Tyler McCliment-Call tried to keep the Pilots close by draining a three to cut the deficit to 14, and the Santa Clara advantage was 65-49 going to the final frame.
 
Portland tried to rally in the fourth, and when Keeley Frawley buried a three-pointer from the right wing the Pilots were within 15. Moments later the Santa Clara lead was down to 14 after Andrews drove to the hoop for two, and it was still a 14-point game when Meek knocked down a three. But that's as close as the Pilots would get as the Broncos continued to shoot well from the field to seal the win.
 
Santa Clara (8-5, 4-3 WCC) shot 60 percent overall, and they were 22 of 28 from the free throw line. Lindsey VanAllen scored a team-high 23 points for the Broncos, and Ashlyn Herlihy added 21 points.
 
Andrews finished with 11 points for the Pilots (7-5, 4-2 WCC), Liana Kaitu'u contributed nine points off the bench, and Meek ended up with seven points. 13 of Fowler's 16 points came in the first half.
 
The Pilots next return home to host BYU in a WCC contest on Thursday night at the Chiles Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. Portland also added a non-conference game on Sunday, Jan. 24, vs. Saint Martin's to replace a previously scheduled game with San Diego, which was postponed.