SAN DIEGO -- The Toreros (11-8, 5-3 WCC) rallied from a 39-31 deficit after the third quarter to beat Santa Clara (8-11, 2-6 WCC) 50-47, helped by a standout defensive outing at home on Thursday afternoon.
 
"We grew so much in this game, so much," said head coach Cindy Fisher. "To be down by that much, it was just heart and soul and wanting it more than anything."
 
San Diego had two players score in double figures, led by Myah Pace, who had 13 points and two steals. Madison Pollock earned her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and fellow senior Leticia Soares added eight points and two steals.
 
The Toreros collected 36 rebounds in Thursday's game compared to Santa Clara's 29, led by Pollock's 10 boards. San Diego cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 12 rebounds into 17 second chance points.
 
San Diego forced over 20 turnovers for the third consecutive game, turning 22 takeaways into 19 points on the offensive end of the floor. Pollock's three steals led the way individually for USD.
 
The Toreros built a two-point advantage after surviving back-and-forth action in the first to lead 10-8. San Diego capitalized on eight Santa Clara turnovers in the period, turning them into six points on the other end of the floor.
 
The Broncos continued to push the Toreros' lead tying it up with a three from Emily Wolph with under six minutes to go in the second. Pace and Patricia Brossmann worked their way to the charity stripe to give San Diego a slight edge, but Santa Clara outscored the Toreros 17-11 in the period to create a 25-21 halftime advantage.
 
Santa Clara continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 38-23 advantage before San Diego went on an 8-0 run, punctuated by a key basket from Pace, to trim its deficit to seven with two minutes to go in the third. The Broncos continued to counter and stretched their lead to 39-31 heading into the fourth. San Diego played well near the basket, scoring six of its 10 points in the paint.
 
San Diego continued to slip behind as Santa Clara constructed a 42-31 advantage early in the fourth. Leticia Soares came through for the Toreros, punctuating a 9-0 run, to shrink the deficit to only two with six minutes to go in the contest, 42-41.  
 
Redshirt junior Jordyn Edwards brought San Diego within striking distance draining a three-pointer, 45-44.  Soares gave the Toreros the lead with under three minutes remaining off an assist from Pace, 46-45.
 
The Toreros kept the rally going and took the lead for good when Pollock executed off an offensive rebound in the paint for an and-one opportunity to give USD a 49-47 edge with a minute left to go in the contest. San Diego took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 19 points in the paint and secured the 50-47 victory.
 
"I think they are playing with a sense of confidence and urgency, and they know they are a really good basketball team," said Fisher. "I've told them that from the get-go. This is a very special group, but we have to do things the right way. They are doing that and buying into it and it's causing havoc right now."
 
The Toreros are back in action on Saturday, when they'll take on San Francisco inside the Jenny Craig Pavilion at noon (PT).
 
This article was created with the help of technology provided by Data Skrive.