Broncos Comment on the Big Games and Generally Make Fun With Each Other
Malibu, Calif. – In his second straight game on the road with six threes in West Coast Conference play, Bronco senior Kevin Foster scored 29 and Marc Trasolini and Raymond Cowels III added 18 and 15, respectively to pace Santa Clara to an 83-76 victory at Pepperdine.
Santa Clara is 14-6 and 3-3 in the WCC. Pepperdine is 9-8 and 1-3 in the WCC. Santa Clara returns home Wed., Jan. 23 to host its last non-conference game of the year vs. Cal State Bakersfield before the Broncos travel to San Diego Sat., Jan. 26.
Santa Clara was led by Foster's 29 points, including 6 of 11 from the three. His six threes tie him for No. 17 all-time in NCAA history with UMKC's Ronnie Schmitz (378, 1993).
"We are all taking it one game at a time right now," said Foster. "I am trying to get better at that leadership thing every day. We worked really hard this week, knowing we had a really tough task with two road WCC games."
Trasolini scored 18 with eight rebounds. Cowels III continued his hot play of late with 15 points and nine rebounds. Evan Roquemore scored eight points and added 10 assists.
"Raymond is really confident. He is a senior and he's playing like it," said Foster. "He is making senior plays and he's a great teammate."
Lorne Jackson scored 23 with five assists for the Waves and Jordan Baker added 15. Stacy Davis had five rebounds.
Santa Clara shot 53.6 percent from the field (30-56), including 52.2 percent from beyond the arc (12 of 23). They hit 11 of 15 free throws (73.3 percent). The Broncos collected 34 rebounds, 19 assists, six steals, four blocks and had 13 turnovers.
Pepperdine shot 46.2 percent from the field (24 of 52), including 66.7 percent from beyond the arc (8 of 12). They hit 20 of 26 free throws (76.9 percent). The Waves collected 27 rebounds, 14 assists, six steals, two blocks and had 11 turnovers.
Neither scored for almost two minutes to start the game and then Baker's three was followed 10 seconds later by one by Roquemore at 18:09 to start SCU's 10-2 run. Trasolini scored inside at 17:05 and then again on a dunk at 16:47 after a steal by Foster. Trasolini's dunk made him No. 13 on the Broncos all-time scorers list, passing Nick Vanos (1,399 points, 1981-85).
After a basket by Raines, Cowels III hit a three at 15:52 to put SCU up 10-5. The Waves tied it up 10-10 at 14:50 on a pair of Baker free throws and a Skouen three. J. Clarke's jumper gave the Broncos back the lead at 12:35. Jackson returned the favor to tie up at 12:17.
The team's traded leads with an and one by DeFreitas and then a three by B. Clark at 10:58, 16-15 Broncos. A pair of free throws by Mills put Pep up by one. Roquemore's second three put SCU up 19-17 before Russell scored inside at 9:21.
Trasolini dunked it for the second time in the half on a swift pass by B. Clark at 8:41 but the Waves hit back-to-back threes to pull ahead 25-21.
Foster scored his first three at 6:54. Mills scored another pair of free throws and Cowels III hit a three to tie it up 27-27 at 6:12. Foster's bucket from eight feet out at the top of the key was again followed by a Waves three at 5:13. Foster answered with his own trey at 5:02 and Trasolini scored a pair of free throws at 3:51 and then two buckets inside at 3:24 and 2:48, 38-32 Broncos.
Foster hit his third three of the game at 2:05 and Broncos led 41-32. The Waves added a couple pairs of free throws to continue the game 11-11 from the charity stripe.
Trasolini added his 14th point of the game at 1:11 on an inside bucket, 43-36 Broncos. Cowels III scored his third three of the game at the buzzer to put the Broncos up by 10 at the half, 46-36.
In the first half Santa Clara shot 56.7 percent from the field (17 of 30), including 52.9 percent from beyond the arc (9 of 17). They hit 3 of 4 free throws (75.0 percent). The Broncos collected 15 rebounds, 13 assists, two steals, three blocks and five turnovers. Pepperdine shot 41.7 percent from the field (10 of 24), including 83.3 percent from beyond the arc (5 of 6). They hit 11 of 11 free throws (100 percent). The Waves collected 13 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, no blocks and had seven turnovers.
In the first half Trasolini led all scorers with 14 points. Foster had 11, including three threes. Cowels III had nine with three threes and a team-leading five rebounds. Jackson led the Waves with nine points and Davis added four rebounds.
Raines scored an and one at 19:45 to start the second half. Foster ran in and laid it in untouched at 18:54. Foster scored again inside at 17:56 and then hit a three at 16:21. He then added an assist on a rim-rattling dunk by Trasolini at 16:21 – timeout Pep – with SCU up 55-42.
The Waves scored back-to-back baskets before McArthur knocked down a seven footer to give Roquemore his 10th assist of the game, 57-46 Broncos at 14:01.
Jackson scored two free throws at 13:36 to keep Pep perfect from the line at 14-14. Jackson scored inside to pull the Waves within seven, 57-50 Broncos at 12:43.
Baker made it 16-16 for the Waves from the charity stripe at 11:50. Cowels III scored one inside and Harrison followed, 62-52 at 10:35.
DeFreitas finally missed the first Waves free throw in 17 tried at 10:13 (he missed both). Jackson missed another at 9:20, but DeFreitas grabbed the rebound and put it in. B. Clark scored a couple free throws at 9:09. Baker went one of two from the free throw line before Trasolini dumped in a B. Clark pass.
The Waves then went on a 7-0 run. Baker only made one of two free throws again at 6:51. After J. Clarke fouled Baker shooting a three, he sank two of three to make it 68-62 at 5:51. Another inside basket by the Waves and they pulled within four at 5:03. Baker stole the ball from Foster and did some fancy footwork on Roquemore to score at 4:33, 68-66 Broncos.
DeFreitas fouled out, slashing against Foster as he scored at 3:04. Foster missed the free throw, but Yannick Atanga skied high for the rebound, tossed it to Foster for a three. Jackson answered with his own at 2:41, 73-69 Broncos.
Foster dumped it in from five out for his 25th point of the night. Jackson answered inside, 75-71 Broncos at 1:43. Foster scored his sixth three of the night at 1:11, 78-71 Broncos. Jackson against answered with three, giving him 23 on the night.
With 37.8 seconds left, Roquemore scored his first two points of the second half on free throws, 80-74 Broncos. Cowels III was fouled on the defensive end when he grabbed his ninth rebound of the game and he sank both. Raines dunked it at with 23.6 seconds left and Pep head coach Marty Wilson whistled for their last timeout with the Broncos leading 82-76.
Foster missed the first but made the second with 18.3 seconds left.
Bronco Game Notes
Kevin Foster moved to a tie at No. 3 in career starts with former WCC Player of the Year and NBA legend Kurt Rambis (1976-80) with 107 career starts for each. Foster needs 10 more starts to pass the school record holder Brian Jones (116, 1996-01).
Playing in their 119th career game, Raymond Cowels III and Marc Trasolini both moved to a tie at No. 8 with Dan Weis (1984-88). The duo needs to play in 10 more games to break the school record set by Ben Dowdell (2007-11).
Roquemore's eight assists put him at No. 6 all-time with 417 career assists, passing John Woolery (422, 1990-94) and Steve Kenilvort (423, 1982-86).
Foster has reached double figures 18 times in 20 games this season and has topped the 20-point mark 12 times. It was his 56th career game with 19+ points.
The Broncos are 4-2 when scoring 80+ this year and 22-3 under Coach Keating.