By Chris Trujillo
Herald Writer
SEATTLE-Tammy Annas scored 15 second half points as the Santa Clara Broncos women’s basketball team shocked the 25th-ranked University of Washington Huskies 71-56 Saturday to claim the 15th annual Husky Classic.
Washington, which defeated James Madison in last year’s championship game, dropped to 2-2 for the season.
The Huskies will continue non-league play against Boise State Tuesday at home beginning at 7 p.m.
Santa Clara, which placed third in the tournament in 1997 and 1994, improved to 3-1 and will host San Jose State on Tuesday.
Annas, an Enumclaw High School graduate and tournament MVP, scored a game high 21 points while going 7-for-10 from the field and pulling down nine rebounds.
The Huskies were led by Emily Autrey with 18 points, 14 of which came in the second half. Andrea Lalum followed with 13 points. Meadowdale High School graduate Kellie O’Neill added six points.
Arlington High School graduate Kayla Burt missed the game after suffering a stress fracture to her left foot during the first half of Friday’s victory over Northeastern. Burt will be out for four to six weeks, according to team officials.
After falling behind by 12 points in the second half, the Huskies were able to muster a light rally, narrowing the score to 57-49. However, the torrid shooting from Annas and Quinn Thomas, who finished with 13 points, was too much for the weary Huskies. To make things worse, the Huskies went scoreless for four minutes in the final eight minutes of the game. Autrey nailed a 10-footer to snap the scoring drought, but that was all Washington could provide.
Annas went coast-to-coast to give the Broncos a 68-56 lead with 2:15 remaining. She would nail a pair of free throws a minute later to secure the game.
The Broncos exploded four minutes into the second half by taking a 12-point lead, which included a 10-6 run. Annas and Thomas combined for 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers by each as Santa Clara took a 50-38 lead with 12:30 remaining in the game.
Autrey helped to keep the game under relative control, scoring six consecutive points for Washington
The Huskies, despite building a six-point lead five minutes into the game, squandered their lead and never regained it back before halftime. Kayla Huss nailed a 3-pointer with 9:17 remaining to give Santa Clara a 18-16 lead. Huss would later hit a 10-footer to round out a five-point half.
The Huskies’ woes continued to grow as their deficit increased to eight points to end the half. In fact, Washington offense went scoreless in the final 6:49, which included an 0-for-12 shooting spell. Santa Clara outscored Washington 11-5 to take a 29-21 first-half lead.
Kent Meridian High graduate Thomas led the Broncos with eight points, followed by Caroline Gruening and Annas, who pitched in with six points each.
The Broncos unleashed a barrage of points midway through the half by converting on four consecutive 3-point baskets, while shooting 6-for-10 from behind the arc.
The Huskies, led in the first half by Andrea Lalum with seven points, made just 9-for-32 from the field and 2-for-11 from behind the arc.
Santa Clara jumped out to an early 5-2 lead when Gruening drained a 3-pointer. The Huskies stole back the momentum by going on a 7-0 run lead by Autrey, who converted a steal for a lay-in. Gioconda Mendiola, on the Huskies’ next possession, hit a 3-pointer to give Washington a 12-6 lead.
In the consolation game earlier Saturday, Allison Cahill scored 11 of her 17 points in the second half as Princeton fought off a mad charge by Northeastern to win 82-80. Princeton, which lost to Santa Clara in the first round, earned third place.
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