Dec. 2, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Located less than four miles apart just down The Alameda, Santa Clara and San Jose State renew their men's basketball rivalry Wednesday night as the two teams tipoff against each other at 7 p.m. in The Event Center on the Spartans' campus.
In addition to local hoops bragging rights, the game will have additional meaning for the second-straight season as the winner obtains valuable points in the Rivalry Series between the two schools. Each year the two schools compete in head-to-head competition in 13 sports with each matchup contributing to a year-end points total that determines an all-sports champion. Last year Santa Clara won the inaugural competition by a 20-10 margin and the rotating trophy sits in the Broncos' trophy case.
For more information on the Rivalry Series, click here.
Tickets are available for the game by calling the SJSU Athletic Ticket Office at 408/924-SJTX (408/924-7589). Inform the ticket office of your school affiliation to receive seats in the appropriate section. The game will be broadcast via the Bronco Radio Network, which is anchored in the Bay Area by KSFB-AM 1220. The feed will also be available on the Internet at www.SantaClaraBroncos.com.
Santa Clara enters the game with a 3-2 overall record after knocking off Holy Names College by a score of 90-62 Monday night at the Leavey Center. Junior transfer Doron Perkins led all scorers with a career-high 18 points, including an 11-for-16 performance from the free throw line. Junior Ethan Rohde added 15 points, while Brandon Rohe registered 12 and Travis Niesen added 10. Senior Jim Howell grabbed 12 rebounds and had four blocks and four steals in the game.
Kyle Bailey leads the Broncos in scoring through the first five games of the season, averaging 10.6 points per game. The Fairbanks, Alaska native also has a team-high 20 assists and is second on the team in rebounds with a 5.4 per game average. Perkins is scoring at a 9.6 per game clip and is one of the West Coast Conference leaders in steals with an average of 2.0 per game.
Overall, 12 different players have scored for the Broncos in the first five games of the season and the team is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 8.4 per game.
San Jose State enters the game with a 1-2 record after dropping a 70-62 decision Saturday night at Cal Poly. In the first meeting between the two schools since 1955, the Spartans shot 56 percent from the three-point line in the first half and held a slim 34-33 lead at the buzzer. However, San Jose State went cold from the perimete in the second half, going 0-for-7 and getting outscored 37-28.
Demetrius Brown leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 14.0 points per game, while Brett Lilly is the only other San Jose State player in double-figures with an 11.0 per game average. The Spartans are outrebounding their opponents by an average of 3.0 boards per game and are led by Eric Walton's 9.0 rebounds per game.
Last season, Brandon Hawkins' jump shot from the foul line with 3.9 seconds remaining lifted San Jose State to a 71-69 win at the Leavey Center. The basket finished a back-and-forth game in which each team took control in the second half, only to see it slip away.
Trailing 57-54 with 6:58 remaining, San Jose State outscored Santa Clara 11-6 to lead 65-60 with 3:04 left. Forward Carlton Baker scored seven of the Spartans' points during the stretch. Bailey then hit three consecutive three-point shots to give the Broncos a 69-65 lead with 1:06 remaining.
Hawkins made two free throws for the Spartans at 0:51 to make it 69-67. Bailey was called for an offensive foul with 27 seconds left, and Baker followed by making a driving shot from the lane with 15 seconds left to tie the score. However, Baker was called for a foul after the shot, sending Santa Clara's Cord Anderson to the foul line. Anderson missed the front end of the one-and-one, and San Jose State drove for what proved to be the winning basket.
The two schools have played 92 times in the 94-year history of the series with Santa Clara owning a 65-27 lead. The Broncos have won four of the last five meetings and have a four-game win streak in games played at SJSU.