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With Houston Baptist taking the lead on two free throws with 6.2 seconds left, Santa Clara then missed two free throws with 1.9 seconds and fell 72-71 at Houston Baptist on Tuesday night. Santa Clara is 7-4 and Houston Baptist is 5-7. Santa Clara falls to 3-1 vs. Houston Baptist.
Santa Clara returns home to host Eastern Michigan as the second game of the first day of the 45th annual Cable Car Classic on Thurs., Dec. 29 at 8:15 pm. Air Force will tangle with Wagner at 6 pm in the first game of the day.
Santa Clara shot 36.5 percent from the field (19 of 52), including 40.9 percent from beyond the arc (9 of 22). The Broncos collected 40 rebounds, four steals, 10 assists, two blocks and turned the ball over 18 times. They shot 85.7 percent from the free throw line (24 of 28).
The Broncos were led by Kevin Foster's 19 points including three threes. Evan Roquemore scored 15 with four assists. Raymond Cowels III added 15 as well. John McArthur scored his second career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Houston Baptist shot 42.3 percent from the field (22 of 52), including 12.5 percent from beyond the arc (1.8). The Huskies collected 32 rebounds, five steals, seven assists, one block and turned the ball over 10 times. They shot 69.2 percent from the free throw line (27 of 39).
They were led by Tyler Russell's 19 points, including two free throws with 6.2 seconds left to help win the game. He was 7 of 8 from the line. Art Bernardi scored 16, Jonathan Evans 11 and Joe Latas 10.
In the first half McArthur hit pay dirt at 18:55 to start the Bronco scoring. Cowels knocked down a triple from the right side after a Huskie bucket inside. Niyi Harrison was replaced by Yannick Atanga when he picked up his second foul at 16:58.
Roquemore hit a runner at 14:19 to put SCU up 7-4. Foster's first basket of the night was a floater at 13:11. Brandon Clark hit a pair of free throws at 12:34 to put SCU up 11-4. Smith's bucket at 11:39 stopped the Broncos 6-0 run.
Cowels second three of the game on a sweet pass by Foster at 10:53 put the Broncos up 16-8. Evans went coast to coast to score for the Huskies. The Broncos went on a 7-2 run to take a 23-12 lead on a three by B. Clark at 7:50.
Julian Clarke crushed a three at 4:05 to put SCU up 34-22 after a pair of free throws by Cowels III and an jumper by Roquemore. McArthur sank two free throws at 3:37 to continue his big year from the free throw line (21 of 23) and after the Huskies scored one of their own, Roquemore sank two of his own, 38-26 Broncos.
Cowels III hit his third triple of the game to put SCU up 41-28 with 33.1 seconds left.
In the first half Santa Clara shot 48.1 percent from the field (13 of 27), including 41.7 percent from beyond the arc (5 of 12). The Broncos collected 21 rebounds, four steals, eight assists, two blocks and turned the ball over 10 times. They shot 100.0 percent from the free throw line (10 of 10). Cowels led all scorers with 13 and McArthur added 10.
Houston Baptist shot 34.6 percent from the field (9 of 26), including zero percent from beyond the arc (0 of 6) after coming in shooting better than 50 percent. The Huskies collected 13 rebounds, four steals, three assists, one block and turned the ball over eight times. They shot 68.8 percent from the free throw line (11 of 16). Bembry led the Huskies with six and two HBU players had five each.
The Huskies opened the second half on a 12-0 run to tie it up 41-41 at 15:24. Roquemore knocked down a three at 14:11 to put SCU up 44-41. It was the Broncos' first basket since Cowels three with 33.1 seconds left in the first half.
Russell gave the Huskies a 45-44 lead with 12:56 left after a pair of free throws. It was their first lead of the game. A Huskie bucket inside stretched the lead to three at 12:22.
Roquemore was grabbed around the waist and stepped to the free throw line to sink both at 12:11, 47-46 HBU. Harrison was whistled for his fourth foul of the game at 11:50 to put HBU up 49-46.
McArthur scored the Broncos second basket of the half to make it 49-48 Huskies at 11:50. The Huskies leading scorer Marcus Davis picked up his fourth foul at 10:01 on Roquemore with his head down in the lane. Roquemore sank both to tie it up 50-50.
Atanga picked up his fourth at 9:52. Harrison and Akwenuke both had four as well. After three straight free throws, the Huskies led 53-50 at 9:04. A McArthur charge taken seemed to excite the Broncos as Foster knocked down his first three of the night at 7:54, 55-54 Huskies.
One of eight thus far, Foster crushed back-to-back threes to put SCU up, but the Huskies answered with two free throw to go up 59-57 at 6:14.
Foster tied it up 59-59 with a four-foot jumper at 6:01. Foster hit a crazy running three at 5:21 to put the Broncos up three, 62-59. After a Huskie free throw, Foster double-clutched it when shooting a three and was fouled. He hit all three, 65-60 Broncos. After a Huskie bucket, Cowels III became the fourth Bronco with four fouls in the game and Marcus Davis sank his first point of the game, a free throw, at 2:50.
Hill became the first casualty for the Huskies, fouling out at 2:17 when smacking Foster on the shooting hand. Foster sank both to put SCU up 67-63.
After a basket by Latas, on the inbounds B. Clark was whistled for the team's 29th foul of the game at 1:53. Russell laid it in to tie it up 59-59 at 1:17.
Cowels hit a pair of free throws with 54.7 seconds left to put SCU up two, 69-67. Bernardi hit a three with 41 seconds left. Roquemore was fouled with 35.2 seconds left and he sank both to go up 71-70. Roquemore was 8 of 8 from the line at that point.
After a 30-second timeout by the Huskies with 16.7 seconds left, Roquemore caught Russell on the wrist shooting and he sank one with 6.2 seconds left before Keating whistled for time. After the full timeout Russell stepped back to the line and made it.
Dancing in the lane with 1.9 seconds left, Roquemore was clipped on the wrist by Smith. The Huskies whistled for time. Roquemore, who was 49 of 54 from the line this year, stepped to the line and missed the first one. He stepped off the line and the Huskies whistled for time again. Roquemore stepped back to the line and missed the second one as well go help the Huskies to a 72-71 win.