Nov. 24, 2005

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - An athletic rivalry that has lasted more than 100 years resumes Saturday when the Santa Clara University men's basketball team hosts the University of the Pacific in a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Leavey Center.

The game will follow a 2 p.m. contest between the Santa Clara women's team and Kansas State University. The SCU Athletic Ticket Office will be open at 1 p.m. and tickets to the SCU vs. Pacific game will be available at that time. Live radio coverage will be available in the Bay Area on KNTS-A< (1220) and on the Internet via Broncos All-Access. A live Gametracker will also be available through the website.

Santa Clara and Pacific have played 122 times since the first official meeting between the two schools during the 1904-05 season. The Broncos have compiled an 84-38 series edge between the two schools during that time.

The rivalry between the two schools goes much deeper than any of the exploits on the court or playing field, according to Rockwell D. Hunt's "History of the College of the Pacific."

Hunt's book states... "Although chartered four years later than the University of the Pacific, Santa Clara College had the distinction of awarding the first baccalaureate degree in California, to a single candidate in 1857. Nevertheless, "there was a ringing note of triumph at commencement time in 1858 when the graduating class (of the University of the Pacific), five young men and five young women, stepped proudly forth to receive the first baccalaureate degrees ever conferred in the state of California," - with the exception, it was necessary to add, of a graduate from Santa Clara College in the previous year. There was, naturally, keen competition between the two schools."

Santa Clara enters Saturday's game with a 1-1 record after defeating Cal State Stanislaus by a score of 97-53 in its season opener, then dropping a 78-70 decision at hot-shooting UC Irvine on Tuesday. Senior forward Travis Niesen averaged 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in his first two outings of the season, while sophomore Mitch Henke (13.5 ppg) and freshman Calvin Johnson (13.0 ppg) are the only other Broncos in double-figures.

Pacific won last year's contest by a score of 71-65 in Stockton, Calif. Tristan Parham led the Broncos with 12 points.

The Tigers enter Saturday's game with a 3-1 record after dropping an 84-62 decision at the University of Oregon on Tuesday. Christian Maraker, who's brother Richard was a member of the Cal State Stanislaus team that faced SCU earlier this season, is Pacific's leading scorer with a 15.8 per game average.

Following the Pacific contest, Santa Clara plays its Rivalry Series game at San Jose State on Tuesday at 8 p.m.