Jan. 12, 2004
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University men's basketball team concludes its longest homestand since the 1985-86 season this week when it hosts two of its West Coast Conference rivals from Southern California at the Leavey Center.
The Broncos host Pepperdine Thursday night and Loyola Marymount on Saturday evening. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. tipoffs. Tickets are available by calling the SCU Athletic Ticket Office at 408/554-4660 or by purchasing online by clicking here. Saturday's game will be preceded by the annual men's basketball alumni game in the Leavey Center beginning at 3 p.m. There is no admission charge for the alumni game, which generally features approximately 40-50 former Bronco players and coaches.
Santa Clara men's basketball games can be heard on the radio in the Bay Area on KSFB-AM (1220) and worldwide via the Internet by clicking here. Nearly every Santa Clara game, both home and away, will also feature live statistical coverage through SantaClaraBroncos.com.
Santa Clara enters Thursday's game with a 9-7 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the WCC after defeating San Francisco 64-53 Friday night at the Leavey Center. The Broncos limited San Francisco to just 37 percent shooting, while connecting on over 57 percent of its own attempts in the win.
Sophomore forward Travis Niesen registered the team's first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while junior guard Kyle Bailey added a team-high 14 points. USF was led by Dommanic Ingerson's 10 points.
Junior transfer Doron Perkins leads the Broncos in scoring with an average of 12.0 points per game. The Anchorage, Alaska native is the WCC's leader in steals with an average of 2.25 per game after recording a game-high four against the Dons on Friday. Perkins and Bailey combine to score 21.9 points per game, which is more than 33 percent of SCU's offensive output.
Defense is the trademark of this year's Dick Davey squad as the Broncos are blocking 2.9 shots per game and limiting opponents to just 64.1 points per game. Both are the best marks ever for a Davey coached squad, while Santa Clara's scoring defense leads the WCC.
Pepperdine enters Thursday's game with a 6-11 overall record and a 1-1 mark in league play after dismantling Portland 97-88 Saturday in Malibu. The Waves started the game slowly but rebounded by shooting 67 percent from behind the three-point line and 54.5 percent from the field in the second half to end their five-game losing streak.
The Waves opened league play Thursday night with an 87-70 loss to nationally-ranked Gonzaga. The Bulldogs shot 60 percent from the field and 59 percent from the three-point line but only caused three Pepperdine turnovers in the game. Junior Glen McGowan led Pepperdine in scoring in both games, contributing 20 points in the loss to Gonzaga and 24 against Portland.
McGowan leads three Pepperdine scorers in double figures on the season with an 18.6 per game average. Terrance Johnson is scoring at a 14.9 per game clip, while Alex Acker, last year's WCC Freshman of the Year, is chipping in 13.6 points per game. McGowan and Acker combine to average 10.1 rebounds per game, which are roughly 30 percent of the team's total on the season.
Pepperdine scores 77.5 points per game, which is second in the WCC. However, the Waves are allowing 79.4 points, which is the highest in the league.
Historically, Santa Clara owns a 59-45 series lead over the Waves dating back to the first meeting as league rivals during the 1955-56 season. More recently, however, the Waves have had the upper hand having won eight of the last 10 matchups between the two teams.
Last season, the two teams split the season series. Pepperdine took a 73-69 win at Firestone Fieldhouse, while Santa Clara earned a 73-61 win at the Leavey Center.
