Dec. 12, 2006
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -John Bryant scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Santa Clara held Eastern Washington's Rodney Stuckey - the nation's third-leading scorer this season - to his lowest total ever on the way to a 91-68 win on Monday night.
Mitch Henke had 17 points and Brody Angley added 16 points and five assists for the Broncos (7-3), who won five of the last six and goes next to play at Stanford and Kentucky.
Stuckey, averaging 26.7 points going into the game, had just 12 against the Broncos and did not lead the Eagles in scoring for the first time in 37 games. The sophomore guard, the reigning Big Sky MVP, was shut out in the first half and struggled with his touch, going 5-for-13 from the floor.
Eastern Washington (5-5), which trailed by as many as 29 points late in the second half, was outscored 44-24 in the paint in losing for the fifth time in six road games this season. Omar Krayem led the Eagles with 19 points and was 6-for-7 on 3s.
Santa Clara held a one-point edge at halftime, but broke the game open with a 12-2 run to open the second half, with Bryant's four points and a 3-pointer by Danny Pariseau providing the spark. Pariseau, who spent his first three seasons at Eastern Washington before transferring to Santa Clara, had five points and nine assists.
Angley's two-handed scoop shot underneath the basket and a dunk by Tristan Parham - playing for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Nov. 28 - pushed the Broncos' lead to 61-45 with 13:44 remaining.
The Broncos trailed late in the first half but went on an 11-4 run to take a 37-35 lead. Matt Penoncello put Eastern Washington back in front with a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining, before Angley's 10-foot jumper at the buzzer gave Santa Clara a 39-38 halftime lead.
Eastern Washington committed 13 turnovers in the first half but went 8-for-11 from 3-point range to keep it close against a Santa Clara team that held four of its previous four opponents under 40 percent shooting.
