SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Sophomore Daria Nestorov scored a career-high 20 points but could not lead the Tigers to a comeback win over Santa Clara, falling 87-79 at the Leavey Center on Thursday night.

The Serbia native was electric in the second half, scoring 16 of her 20 points in the third and fourth quarters, including sparking a 10-0 run out of the intermission that slashed a 12-point deficit down to just two. However, that would be the closest the Tigers (11-17, 6-11 WCC) would get the remainder of the game. In scoring her first career 20-piece, she became the first Tiger to score 20 points in a game away from the Alex G. Spanos Center this season. She also tallied five assists in the contest, moving her up to 15th on the single season assists list and will pass Selena Ho for 14th in just three more assists. Nestorov also swiped three steals.

Staying on the topic of great single-season performances, true freshman Sophia Mindermann connected on her 57th three-pointer of the season. This not only ties her with former Tiger Erin Butler for 20th, but she now has also hit the most three-pointers by a Tiger this decade. Her entry makes her the first student-athlete to make the list since GeAnna Luaulu-Summers during the 2017-18 season.
If the true freshman can reach 59 three-pointers, it would be the second-best single season performance by a Tiger during the Head Coach Bradley Davis Era – behind only Hailie Eackles' 77 during the 2015-16 season, his first at the helm.

In addition to the long-range attack, Mindermann finished the game with 12 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Off the bench, both junior Nyah Lowery and graduate Hannah Burg had solid nights contributing ten and seven points respectively. For the latter it represents a new career best at the division one level. Both grabbed three rebounds and Lowery tied her career best three assists.

Senior Sydney Ward led the team with eight rebounds, leaving her nine shy of becoming the second Tiger of the decade to reach 200 rebounds in a season. She would join former Tiger player and coach, Valerie Higgins.

Pacific closes the regular season on the road at San Diego. With a win, or Saint Mary's loss, Pacific would earn a bye into the second round – either outright or by owning the tiebreaker over the Gaels.

Against the Toreros, Pacific has won seven of the past eight and defeated USD in Stockton earlier this season. Tipoff from the Jenny Craig Pavilion is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

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