Dec. 30, 2002
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Brandon Rohe scored 10 of his team-high 14 points in the second half Monday night to help Santa Clara win its sixth straight game, holding off Wright State 71-67 in a non-conference men's basketball game.
The Broncos (9-3) outscored the Raiders (6-4) 9-2 at the end of the first half to lead 35-25 at intermission. Santa Clara then moved to leads of as many as 13 points in the second half before Wright State gradually closed the gap.
The Raiders got to within two points at 69-67 with 17 seconds remaining after a driving layup by Vernard Hollins but could get no closer.
Santa Clara made nearly 61 percent of its shots from the field, the best single-game mark since shooting 60 percent in a 98-59 win over Southern in 1995, but helped keep the score close by making only 17 of 29 foul shots in the second half. The last six times the Broncos went to the line, they had two-shot situations but made only one shot each time.
Seth Doliboa of Wright State led all scorers with 24 points and he also had a game-high 11 rebounds. Hollins added 21 points for the Raiders. junior transfer J.R. Patrick, who missed the first six games of the season due to a knee injury, and Scott Borchart each established career-highs with 11 points apiece for Santa Clara.
Santa Clara's 9-3 record equals the best start for a Dick Davey-coached Bronco team, tying the mark set by the Steve Nash-led 1994-95 and 1995-96 squads. The Broncos' six-game win streak also marks the longest in non-conference action since a seven-game run in 1997.
In its last four games, the Broncos have shot 53.9 percent from the field, 53.7 percent from beyond the three-point stripe and have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 12.2 per game.
The Broncos return to action Saturday in its final non-conference game of the season in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at Nevada-Las Vegas. The Runnin' Rebels are 7-2 on the season following a 79-78 win over SMU in the Jim Thorpe Classic last night in the Thomas & Mack Center.
Santa Clara opens its league season Jan. 11 at San Diego and does not return to the Leavey Center until a Jan. 22 contest against Bay Area rival San Francisco. For ticket information or to purchase the specially-priced WCC League Pass, call 408/554-4660 or click here.