Dec 18, 2001
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Jeb Ivey scored 17 points as Portland State defeated Santa Clara 76-63 in the first round of the Deutsche Banc Alex Brown Stanford Invitational Tuesday.
Anthony Lackley scored 13 for the Vikings (4-5), which ended a two-game losing streak.
Steve Ross scored 16 points to lead Santa Clara (1-7), off to its worst start since opening the 1970-71 season 1-9.
Portland State hit 60 percent (29-of-48) of its shots, including 10-of-20 from long range, while the Broncos, who lost their fourth straight, shot just 38 percent.
The Vikings will meet the winner of a later game between No. 13 Stanford and Belmont in Wednesday's championship game.
Santa Clara drew within 50-49 on two free throws by Ross with 10:17 remaining to play, but Portland State responded with a 12-2 run over the next three minutes - highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Kevin Briggs, who ended with 11 points - to regain control of the contest.
Ross scored seven of the Broncos' nine points to set the stage for the comeback.
Santa Clara could get no closer than six points the rest of the way.
Tony DeVries and Aaron Fitzgerald, who finished with 12 points, hit consecutive 3-pointers to spark an 11-0 run for the Vikings midway through the first half, turning a one-point deficit into a 10-point edge. Portland State eventually led by as many as 14 before settling for a 43-31 lead at halftime.
It was the first ever meeting between the two schools.