Basketball Ends USF Season; Advance to CIT Semis to Play at SMU on Friday
Click Here to Watch Team Celebrating with Fans/Each Other!!
Click Here to See More GREAT Photos!
San Francisco, Calif. – Santa Clara defeated San Francisco Tuesday night in a hard-fought war, coming out on top 95-91 to advance to the CIT semi-finals in Dallas at SMU on Fri., March 25 at 7 pm Central (5 pm Pacific). It was the 208th meeting in the two school histories and it lived up to the billing. Santa Clara moves to 22-14 and San Francisco finishes its season 19-15. It is the first time since 1983-84 that Santa Clara has won 22 games in a season and it is just the fifth time 22+ win season in school history. Santa Clara is 10-0 when it scores 80+ this season and 18-1 in Coach Keating's four years.
Santa Clara shot 49.2 percent (31 of 63) from the field, including 42.9 percent from beyond the arc (9 of 21). The Broncos collected 34 rebounds, 14 assists, five steals and five blocks. They shot 72.7 percent from the free throw line (24 of 33) with six turnovers. The six turnovers were the fewest turnovers Santa Clara has had since it turned the ball over five times vs. Saint Mary's Feb. 2, 2005.
USF shot 52.9 percent (36 of 68) from the field, including 35.7 percent from beyond the arc (10 of 28). The Dons collected 38 rebounds, 20 assists, four steals and one block. They shot 60.0 percent from the free throw line (9 of 15) with 12 turnovers.
Individually Santa Clara was led by a career-high 30 points by Evan Roquemore, including key free throws at the end of the game. Foster followed up with 27 points, hitting 12 of 15 from the free throw line. Foster has 132 threes on the year, good for No. 22 all-time in the NCAA in a single season. Troy Payne added 12 points and nine rebounds and Dowdell scored 11. Foster also added five assists.
Angelo Caloiaro had 21 points, Rashad Green scored 19 and Cody Doolin 18. Perris Blackwell had 10 rebounds and eight points and Caloiaro added 12 rebounds.
Payne scored under the basket at 19:51 to start the game. Williams scored at 18:45 and then a three at 18:25 to take a 5-2 lead. After a bucket by Green, Roquemore scored at 17:40. Williams and Doolin scored back-to-back buckets in less than 30 seconds when Keating whistled for time at 16:50, down 11-4. Foster scored a four-point play at 15:35 to pull the Broncos within three, but Doolin crushed a three at 15:15 ot make it 16-10.
Green picked up his second foul of the half and hit the bench after Trasolini hit a pair of free throws at 14:55. Blackwell scored at 14:35.
Michael Santos tipped one in and scored another in less than a minute.
USF went on an 8-2 run with Dowdell scoring a basket and Caloiaro scoring back-to-back threes to put USF up 28-18 at 11:30.
Dowdell missed both free throws at 11:03 but Payne rebounded the second ball. Raymond Cowels III crushed a three. Diara answered with a lay-in.
Doolin scored a three-point play and Payne went inside again, 36-32 Dons at 7:36. The Dons then went on an 8-0 run to take a 44-32 lead, its largest. The teams traded possessions before Caloiaro was whistled for an offensive foul. After Diara picked up his second foul of the game, Foster sunk both to make it 44-34 at 4:17.
Santa Clara finished the half on an 11-2 run in the last three minutes. After a Dons miss, Roquemore hit a three and Diara answered with a jump-hook. Dons 46-37 at 2:54. Roquemore sank a pair of free throws at 2:33. After Doolin was whistled for a charge and then Blackwell was called for a player control foul, Foster hit a three to make it 46-42 at 1:17. After a Johnson air-ball, Roquemore crushed his 53rd three of the year, maybe one of the biggest to make it 46-45 Dons at :40.7.
Timeout USF. Roquemore was whistled for a foul, his second of the half, and Williams missed it. Halftime score was 46-45 Dons. The 46 points were a season-high for the Dons and the best total for the Broncos since they scored 46 points vs. Bethany on Jan. 3, 2011.
In the first half Santa Clara shot 40.5 percent (15-37) from the field, including 38.5 percent from beyond the arc (5-13). The Broncos collected 17 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. They shot 76.9 percent from the free throw line (10-13) with 2 turnovers. USF shot 62.1 percent (18-29) from the field, including 45.5 percent from beyond the arc (5-11). The Dons collected 20 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. They shot 62.5 percent from the free throw line (5-8) with 7 turnovers.
In the first half individually Santa Clara was led by Kevin Foster who scored 14 points and added 2 assists. Roquemore added 10 and Payne six. Payne and Trasolini had four rebounds each. Doolin scored 13 with six assists in the first half for the Dons, Caloiaro had six rebounds.
Blackwell scored at 19:51 to start the second half. Roquemore tied it up 48-48 at 18:53. It was the first tie since 2-2 at 18:45. Dowdell scored at 18:18 to give the Broncos a 50-48 lead and Walters whistled for time. The Dons scored two straight to take back a two-point lead and Trasolini scored inside as did Dowdell to give the Broncos a 54-52 lead at 16:02. Johnson hit a wide-open three to give the Dons the lead at 15:39. Timeout Dons.
Roquemore picked his favorite spot on the floor and crushed his fourth three of the game, 57-55 Broncos at 15:19. Dowdell's hook shot gave the SCU its largest lead of the game, four, at 14:37. The Dons then went on a 7-1 run before Foster hit a bucket to tie it up 62-62.
After a missed three by Marko Petrovic, Roquemore scored inside but Green scored a three after Payne blocked the ball inside to put the Dons up one, 65-64 at 11:28.
Foster hit a pair of free throws and then Calaiaro dumped one in. Doolin was whistled for a foul inside and Cowels sank both. Green scored a three-point play to put the Dons up 70-68 at 10:15. Blackwell missed a pair of free throws at 9:47.
Roquemore was fouled by Blackwell, his third, and he scored one, 70-69 Dons at 9:42. Roquemore scored again at 8:59 and Diara answered at 8:52. Roquemore, battling leg cramps, hit his fifth three of the game to put SCU up 74-72 at 8:33. Timeout Broncos. After Caloiaro missed a three and Dowdell tipped in a Trasolini miss. 76-72 Broncos at 7:30. Payne stole the ball and scored at 7:03 to put SCU up 78-72. Green answered with a three at 6:58.
Petrovic was whistled for an intentional foul on Foster. He missed the first and made the second. Keeping the ball, Payne was fouled and he missed the first. Santa Clara led 79-75 at 6:18. Green was whistled for a carry at 5:33 but Trasolini's shot was off the mark.
Cole Dickerson scored a bucket and Caloiaro followed with a three on the missed free throw to give the Dons a 80-79 lead. Foster scored to give the Broncos an 81-80 lead at 4:02.
After a Bronco turnover the Dons rallied to score four straight to go up 84-81 at 3:22. Timeout Dons. Roquemore scored at 2:54 to make it a one-point game.
Caloiaro scored a three-point play to put USF up 87-83 at 2:40. Foster hit a three to make it 87-86 at 2:21. It was his 132nd of the year.
Payne's steal, with the aid of Dowdell, and then dunk made it 88-87 Broncos at 1:48. Foster was fouled on the defensive end and he sank both to make it 90-87 Broncos at 1:17.
Santa Clara took a full timeout. Dowdell fouled Caloiaro, his fourth, and he sank both at 90-89 at 1:01. Harrison blocked a shot by Green and Roquemore rebounded it. He sank both to put SCU up three. SCU grabbed missed shot and Roquemore was again fouled again and he sank both to put SCU by six. Doolin scored inside at 8.6, 94-91 Broncos. Timeout Dons – their last.
Foster was fouled at 7.9 and he missed the first. He made the second. 95-91 Broncos.