SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Diego women's basketball program (16-11, 10-6 WCC) got a timely basket from Ayanna Khalfani with six seconds left in the game to force overtime and lead the Toreros to a 69-62 win over Santa Clara (14-15, 5-11 WCC) on Saturday afternoon at the Leavey Center.
 
Khalfani finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Kasey Neubert added a season-high 18 points and seven rebounds to lead the Toreros offense.   
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two sides battled through a low-scoring first quarter, but Neubert found her shot and led the way with six points.
• After Santa Clara cut the lead to 20-19, the Toreros went on an 8-2 run, with six points from Khalfani during the stretch.
• The Toreros used that run to carry themselves into the locker room with a 30-24 halftime edge.
• San Diego slowly extended their advantage throughout the third quarter, leading by as much as 10 off multiple baskets from Harsimran Kaur.
• Kaur had eight points in the quarter and was a spark plug off the bench once again, helping San Diego lead 44-35 after three quarters.
• Santa Clara would then erase the deficit entirely, scoring eight straight points to open the fourth quarter.
• The Broncos built positive momentum and swung the game in their favor, taking a seven-point lead with 2:34 left to play.
• Needing a spark, Myah Pace hit a three pointer to cut the lead to four with 1:44 left.
• That basket would spark a 7-0 run, ending with a Khalfani jumper to tie the game and force overtime.
• In overtime, the Toreros stepped up the defensive intensity and held Santa Clara without a field goal for nearly the entire period.
• Khalfani and Pace each scored a basket and Pace added free throws to take a 65-59 lead.
• Needing a lockdown moment on defense, Kiera Oakry earned a steal and polished off the win.

 
TORERO TIDBITS

• Pace (1,082) leapfrogged her way from 18th to 15th on the Toreros all-time scoring list with 13 points on the night, passing Erin Malich (1,071), Sydney Williams (1,072) and Morgan Henderson (1,079). Next up is Kerri Nakamoto (1,098) in 14th.
• Khalfani is up to 19.7 points per game over her last six games and has crossed her previous career-high in five of those six contests.
• San Diego took a season-high 70 field goal attempts on the afternoon. Khalfani also added 10 made field goals, the most by a Torero this season.

 
UP NEXT
The Toreros are headed home for the final two games of the regular season, welcoming No. 20 Gonzaga to the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed via the WCC Network.