Box Score

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- UC Davis senior Sydnee Fipps finished with a team-high 24 points to help her team rally back from a 12-point second-half deficit, and the Aggies had a pair of chances in the final 10 seconds to tie, but could not get a shot to fall as Santa Clara held on for a 79-76 win in the opening game of the 2014 Air Force Classic on Friday evening at Clune Arena on the campus of the Air Force Academy.

UC Davis, which also got 12 points from Alyson Doherty and good production (25 points) from its bench once again, fell to 3-4 overall on the year, with its last three losses -- all against West Coast Conference opponents -- coming by a combined eight points. The Broncos, who were buoyed by a game-high 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting by Nici Gilday, improved to 4-2 for the season.

Fipps hit 8-of-14 from the floor for the game and added six rebounds in 27 minutes, while Doherty scored 10 of her 12 in the second half, including a basket inside with less than 30 seconds to play as part of a 12-4 run for the Aggies over the final three-and-a-half minutes that cut a 75-64 deficit down to just three points.

Santa Clara had a pair of chances to make it a two-possession game, but missed four free throws in the final 23 seconds to give UC Davis life. With the clock winding down, Doherty had a three-point attempt from the right elbow blocked by Maddison Allen, who proceeded to miss a pair with just over two seconds to play after the Aggies fouled on the rebound. Fipps then grabbed the rebound and crossed half court before immediately being mobbed by three defenders, preventing the senior from getting off a shot.

For Fipps, it was her 26th career game of 20-points or more, closing in on Staci Stevens' career record of 31 collected from 1984-88. Fipps and Doherty lead the team with five double-digit scoring performances this season.

For the sixth consecutive game, UC Davis was white-hot from the field, hitting on 50 percent for the game and making 10-of-20 from long-range to offset a tough night from the line that saw the Aggies hit just 57 percent (16-for-28) from the line, including just 4-of-13 in the first half.

Despite its struggles from the line, UC Davis dug out of an early hole in the first half, using an 8-0 run -- including three-pointers by freshmen Dani Nafekh and Pele Gianotti -- to erase a four-point deficit. The two teams traded baskets before freshman Rachel Nagel scored five straight points as part of a 10-2 run for the Aggies that gave them their largest lead of the game, 23-16, with seven minutes to play.

UC Davis held that same advantage twenty seconds later before the Broncos, who were held to just 39 percent shooting in the opening half, began to chip away. Santa Clara's ensuing 11-3 run gave the Broncos the lead and a jumper by Morgan McGwire in the final seconds had the Broncos trailing by just two points at the break at 35-33. Santa Clara then broke the game open with a 9-0 run to start the second period, eventually shooting 55 percent from the field after the break and holding on for the win.

Marie Bertholdt added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Broncos, while Raquel Avila added seven points and eight assists.

UC Davis closes out tournament play on Saturday (Dec. 6) at 1 p.m. PT, taking on unbeaten Southern Utah in the first game of the day. The Thunderbirds face host Air Force on Friday night.

SANTA CLARA 79, UC DAVIS 76
UC DAVIS (3-4)
Fipps, Sydnee 8-14 5-8 24; Doherty, Alyson 3-7 6-6 12; Gianotti, Pele 3-3 0-2 8; McGuire, Taylor 3-7 0-2 8; Marfone, Celia 2-6 2-2 7; Nafekh, Dani 2-6 0-1 6; Nagel, Rachel 2-2 1-1 5; Yasukochi, Brianne 1-2 0-0 2; Harris, Kelsey 0-1 2-4 2; Beyer, Lauren 1-1 0-2 2; Salvatore, Brianna 0-1 0-0 0; Johnson, Heidi 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-50 16-28 76.

SANTA CLARA (4-2)
GILDAY, Nici 12-17 6-6 33; BERTHOLDT, Marie 5-6 7-7 17; WOLPH, Emily 2-5 3-4 9; AVILA, Raquel 3-5 1-5 7; ALLEN, Maddison 3-5 1-4 7; BERRY, Taylor 1-8 0-0 2; MCGWIRE, Morgan 1-5 0-1 2; CARLSON, Beth 1-4 0-0 2; LEO, Vanessa 0-1 0-0 0; RIELLY, Sidney 0-2 0-0 0; GALLAWAY, Brooke 0-1 0-0 0; HAWKINS, Katie 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 28-60 18-29 79.

UC Davis...................... 35 41 - 76
Santa Clara................... 33 46 - 79

3-point goals--UC Davis 10-20 (Fipps, Sydnee 3-7; Nafekh, Dani 2-3; McGuire, Taylor 2-3; Gianotti, Pele 2-2; Marfone, Celia 1-3; Harris, Kelsey 0-1; Doherty, Alyson 0-1), Santa Clara 5-12 (GILDAY, Nici 3-6; WOLPH, Emily 2-4; AVILA, Raquel 0-1; RIELLY, Sidney 0-1). Fouled out--UC Davis-Marfone, Celia, Santa Clara-BERTHOLDT, Marie. Rebounds--UC Davis 30 (Fipps, Sydnee 6), Santa Clara 43 (BERTHOLDT, Marie 9). Assists--UC Davis 18 (Nafekh, Dani 3; Yasukochi, Brianne 3), Santa Clara 19 (AVILA, Raquel 8). Total fouls--UC Davis 23, Santa Clara 25. Technical fouls--UC Davis-None, Santa Clara-None.