Portland, Ore. – Despite a furious rally late in the second half, the home team has now won eight of the last nine games between Santa Clara and Portland, with the Pilots topping the Broncos 84-74 on Thursday night at the Chiles Center. Santa Clara is 8-6 and 0-1 in the WCC. Portland is 4-11 and 1-1 in the WCC. Santa Clara now travels to Spokane for a 5 pm meeting on Sat. Jan. 7 with No. 25 Gonzaga.
Santa Clara shot 38.5 percent from the field (25 of 65), including 35.3 percent from beyond the arc (6 of 17). They shot 69.2 percent from the free throw line (18 of 26) and turned the ball over just six times. The Broncos collected 27 rebounds, 11 assists, nine steals and two blocks.
Individually for Santa Clara Niyi Harrison tied his career high with 19 points off the bench, including 7 of 8 from the free throw line, and grabbed four rebounds. Kevin Foster scored 12 points, adding his 300th career three in the second half (3 of 8). Evan Roquemore added 15 and Brandon Clark scored a career-high 16 off the bench with five assists. John McArthur led the Broncos with five rebounds.
Portland shot 51.0 percent from the field (26 of 51), including 36.4 percent from beyond the arc (4 of 11). They shot 80.0 percent from the free throw line (28 of 35) and turned the ball over 15 times. The Pilots collected 44 rebounds, 17 assists, three steals and three blocks.
Individually for Portland was led by Ryan Nicholas who scored 19 with 11 boards. Thomas van der Mars added 10 points and David Carr scored 11 off the bench. Tim Douglas collected scored 11 points, adding eight assists and Nemanja Mitrovic added 11 points and five assists.
To start the game Van der Mars sank two free throws at 18:40 and then a bucket inside at 17:30.
Cowels III stole the ball and passed it to a wide-open Roquemore for a three at 16:30. Harrison was fouled by Dorian Cason and he sank both to put SCU up 5-4 at 16:24.
A bucket by Nicholas and two free throws by Douglas put the Pilots up 8-5, but Cowels answered with a three at 14:53 to tie it up 8-8.
The Pilots went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-8 lead at 13:35. Cason was called for two fouls –one being a dead-ball technical for throwing McArthur to the ground at 11:15. Roquemore hit one of the free throws to make it 13-9.
The Pilots added five more before Harrison hit a pair of three throws at 9:25. Van der Mars scored inside again and Nicholas hit a pair of free throws to put the Pilots up 22-11 at 7:45.
Roquemore scored a basket and Foster followed on a goal-tending call, 24-15 Pilots. The Pilots went on a 5-1 run over the next couple minutes.
Garrett scored inside, but the Pilots answered with a three point play and another basket inside to go up 36-18 at 3:54.
Harrison's inside jumper at 3:12 and B. Clark's floater at 1:50 stopped the run. The Pilots went up 40-22 with a bucket by Mitrovic at 1:45. Harrison a pair at the charity stripe at 1:22. B. Clark scored three straight free throws to pull the Broncos within 15, but Bailey dunked the ball on a sweet pass from Douglas with 14 seconds left as Portland went to the lockerroom with a 44-27 lead.
In the first half, Santa Clara shot 24.1 percent from the field (7 of 29), including 25.0 percent from beyond the arc (2 of 8). They shot 73.3 percent from the free throw line (11 of 15) and turned the ball over two times. The Broncos collected 10 rebounds, three assists, four steals and one block. Individually for Santa Clara Harrison scored eight points and Roquemore scored six.
Also in the first half, Portland shot 58.6 percent from the field (17 of 29), including 28.6 percent from beyond the arc (2 of 7). They shot 88.9 from the free throw line (8 of 9) and turned the ball over seven times. The Pilots collected 26 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and two blocks. Individually for Portland Nicholas and Carr both scored eight each.
Santa Clara started the second half on a 7-2 run on baskets by Harrison and a three by Foster. Van der Mars dunk at 17:02 stopped the run, but McArthur answered inside at 16:39.
After a Pilot basket, B. Clark scored on a floater at 15:20 and then again at 13:59. The Broncos trailed by 12, but on the next possession Bailey hit a three at 13:18 and the Pilots went on an 8-1 run over the 4:40 to take a 58-39 lead.
Harrison dunked it with authority at 8:37 to stop the run. After two Pilot free throws and a basket by Nicolas UP went up 62-41 at 7:15. Cowels III scored inside at 7:15.
Roquemore scored, Harrison dunked the ball and Roquemore scored again to make it 66-49 Pilots with 5:49 left. Akwenuke and B. Clark both scored to cut the lead to 15 in the last five minutes.
Harrison dunked the ball again at 3:36 and the Broncos trailed by 13. Foster hit his second three of the game at 2:58 and the Broncos trailed by 12 (70-58).
After a Nicholas basket inside, Roquemore was fouled when shooting inside and he hit one, 72-59 at 2:19.
After a steal by Roquemore on the inbounds, Foster hit a covered-up three from way out to pull the Broncos within 10 at 2:07. It was the 300th three of his career.
A pair of free throws by Mitrovic followed a pair by Roquemore, 76-68 Pilots with 46.3 seconds left. Douglas fell on his backside as B. Clark scored a wide-out three at 24.3 to pull the Broncos within six, 78-71. Timeout Santa Clara.
During the timeout, the officials called B. Clark for a flagrant foul as B. Clark was called for an elbow on Douglas. Douglas hit both to put UP up 80-71. UP was fouled on the inbounds and Mitrovic sank both, 81-71 UP with 21.6 seconds left.
Harrison was fouled attempting to dunk with 14.4 seconds left. He sank one to pull within 10.
Notes: Santa Clara started Yannick Atanga in place of Niyi Harrison tonight. Foster, Roquemore, McArthur and Cowels III started with him.