Nov 30, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Kyle Bailey scored 18 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to lead Santa Clara to a 69-64 victory over Fresno State Saturday night at the Leavey Center.
Bailey's three-point shot with 6:23 remaining put Santa Clara ahead 54-53, and he scored 12 of the Broncos' final 18 points to clinch the lead. Bailey also had eight rebounds and eight assists in the game.
Ethan Rohde scored 14 points for Santa Clara (2-2), and Travis Niesen added 13.
Fresno State (0-2) had five players in double figures, led by Shantay Legans with 12. Mustafa Al-Sayyad and Renaldo Major each scored 12 points for the Bulldogs, while Marcus West and Francis Koffi added 10 apiece.
Fresno State scored the last six points of the first half, but still trailed 26-25 at the break.
The Bulldogs led by as many as five in the second half, at 36-31 with 16:13 left in the game, but they could never shake Santa Clara. The Broncos then went on a 9-0 run, capped by a Bailey three-pointer to go back on top 40-36 with 13:50 remaining.
With the Broncos holding a slim three-point lead, Bailey connected on his career-high 10th three-point attempt of the game, this time a bank shot high off the glass with just :24 seconds remaining to put Santa Clara up 67-61. He connected on two free throws in the final seconds to put SCU up by eight before West made a three with just :10 seconds left.
Al Sayyad had a game-high 11 rebounds. Niesen led Santa Clara with nine.
Both teams shot poorly in the first half, but both improved to 52 percent in the second half. The Broncos connected on 14-of-18 free throws in the game, including 9-of-11 in the second half.