Santa Clara Hosts Cal State Bakersfield Wednesday In Final Non-Conference Game Of The Year

Marc Trasolini
Marc Trasolini

Santa Clara Game Notes

After winning back-to-back regular season WCC road games for the first time in two years, the Broncos (14-6, 3-3 WCC) venture out of league play for the final time in the regular season to host the Roadrunners from Cal State Bakersfield (7-13) on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

The game can be heard live on KDOW 1220 AM with the broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. Pacific. Anthony Passarelli is in his sixth season as the Broncos' play-by-play announcer. 

Santa Clara shot a season-high 53.6% from the field (30-of-56), including 12-of-23 from beyond the arc, and won at Pepperdine on Jan. 19 for just the third time in their last 17 visits with an 83-76 victory. Kevin Foster led three players in double figure scoring with a game-high 29, Marc Trasolini added 18 to become the 13th player in SCU history to score 1,400 career points and Raymond Cowels III scored 15. Evan Roquemore dished out 10 assists with 8 points. Foster (11-of-17) and Trasolini (8-of-15) combined to go 19-of-32 (59.4%) from the field and score 47 points. It was the second straight game the Broncos shot over 50 percent and gave them consecutive regular season conference road wins for the first time since January 27 and 29, 2011. 

Wednesday's game marks the third time under Bronco head coach Kerry Keating that SCU will play a non-conference game in the middle of its WCC schedule. The Broncos won the previous two contests beating Houston Baptist, 85-59, on Jan. 25, 2009 and UC Santa Cruz, 85-60, on Feb. 1, 2011.

One of the highest scoring teams in the NCAA in terms of points, the Broncos rank No. 2 in Division I with a total of 1,562 points, behind only fellow WCC member BYU, which has scored 1,566. SCU posted its second-straight game with 80 or more points in its win at Pepperdine and has reached the 80-point mark seven times this season. The Broncos scored 80+ in a game just three times last season.

The Broncos are led by a trio of scorers in double figures this year with 1,000-plus career points each.  Kevin Foster (20.2 ppg, 2,095 career points), Marc Trasolini (15.2 ppg, 1,415) and Evan Roquemore (13.1 ppg, 1,122) are the only active trio in the country on the same team with 1,000 career points or more. Foster is No. 2 in active career points scored behind Lehigh's C.J. McCollum (2,361) who is out for the season with broken foot.

Cal State Bakersfield

The Broncos opened the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons with wins over the Roadrunners in the only two games played between the schools. SCU won at Bakersfield, 84-81, on Nov. 13, 2009 and, almost exactly one year later, posted an 82-77 home win. Marc Trasolini posted his fifth career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in SCU's home win and scored 10 points in the win at Bakersfield. Kevin Foster scored 21 points at CSUB in 2009 and tallied 19 in SCU's home win in 2010. Foster, Trasolini, Raymond Cowels III and Niyi Harrison have all played in the previous two games with the Roadrunners. Currently a Division I independent, CSU Bakersfield will become a member of the Western Athletic Conference starting next season. The Roadrunners are 0-3 against WCC teams this season, losing twice to LMU and dropping a 61-59 decision at Portland. Senior Stephon Carter leads them in scoring at 15.3 per game and is 50 shy of becoming the school's career scoring leader. Carter scored 14 points against SCU on Nov. 13, 2009 in his first career collegiate game. He is also the only player on the current CSUB roster to have played in the first game between the schools.

WCC Player of the Week Plays Here!

For the second time this season, Santa Clara senior guard Kevin Foster is the West Coast Conference Player of the Week after he averaged 27.5 ppg, including 57.1 percent from beyond the arc (12 of 21).  Foster averaged 27.5 points per game in a pair of Broncos road wins last week.  The Broncos won both road games at USF, winning 85-54, and Pepperdine last week to move to 14-6 and 3-3 in the WCC.

In two WCC road games last week, Foster averaged 27.5 ppg in 33 mpg, hitting six threes in both victories.   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. 

Foster shot 62.5 percent for the week (20 of 32), hitting 57.1 percent of his threes (12 of 21).  He also scored his first career double-double at USF with 27 points and 10 rebounds.  On the week he averaged 6 rpg, 3.0, apg and 2.5 spg.

He is crushing the Santa Clara career records books this year.  He is already No. 1 in points, field goal attempts, threes made and threes attempted.  He is also on pace to break the school record for field goals made, minutes played and games started.

Shooting Straight

After enduring one of their poorest shooting outings of the season in a loss to BYU on Jan. 12, the Broncos have rebounded nicely with consecutive games over 50% from the field. In their two games since shooting just 38.5% in a loss to the Cougars, the Broncos made 62-of-119 field goals (52.1%) and were 26-of-53 from 3-point range (49.1%) in wins at USF (Jan. 17) and Pepperdine (Jan. 19). SCU converted 50.8% (32-of-63) of its shots, including a season-high tying 14 threes in 30 tries (46.7%) against the Dons, and followed that by shooting a season-best 53.6% (30-of-56) at Pepperdine. SCU also made 12 of its 23 three-point attempts against the Waves. The Broncos shot 50% or better from the field in each of their first three games of the season and in four of the first five, but had gone 13 straight contests without reaching the 50% mark until their win at USF.

1,000 and Counting

There have been 30 players in the history of Santa Clara basketball to score 1,000 career points and three of them are on the current roster. In fact this season SCU is the only Division I school with three 1,000 point scorers on its roster. Kevin Foster (2,095) became SCU's all-time scoring leader, surpassing 1980 West Coast Conference Player of the Year and former NBA star Kurt Rambis, in a win at St. Louis on Nov. 14 and became the seventh player in WCC history to score 2,000 career points when he netted 29 against Gonzaga on Jan. 5.  Foster scored 27 points at USF on Jan 17 and surpassed LMU's Forrest McKenzie (2,060) for No. 4 all-time on the WCC's career points scored list with 2,095. He now needs 22 points to overtake USF's Bill Cartwright for the No. 3 spot. Cartwright scored 2,116 points from 1975-79.

Marc Trasolini scored his 1,300th career point in a win over Alcorn St. on Dec. 21 and is No. 13 on the school's list with 1,415 after he scored his 1,400th point at Pepperdine.  He needs 23 points to past Bud Ogden (1966-69, 1,437) to No. 12 all-time.

Evan Roquemore joined the 1,000-point club this season, reaching the plateau in a win at Pacific on Dec. 15. He scored his 1,100th career point at LMU on Jan. 10, becoming just the 25th player in school history score that many.  He currently has 1,122 career points and sits at No. 24 all-time. He needs 61 to move to No. 23.

Inching Up

Raymond Cowels III has played in all but one game during his four-year career (family funeral) and has started 50 straight times since the beginning of the 2011-12 season. RC3 is fourth on the team in scoring with a 10.1 ppg average and needs 64 points to become the fourth member of the current roster to score 1,000 career points. Cowels III played a career-high 38 minutes in the win at Pepperdine on Jan. 19 scoring 15 points, his fourth straight double-digit scoring game, 13th of the season and 48th career, with 9 rebounds. Over the last four games, RC3 has scored 61 points (15.3 ppg) with 32 rebounds and has raised his per game scoring average from 8.8 ppg to 10.1 ppg. His current run of four straight double digit scoring games equals the second-most in his career and is one shy of his career-best five game double-digit scoring that came in the last five contests of the 2011-12 season.

All Time Leader

Kevin Foster added another record to his list of achievements during SCU's loss to BYU on Jan. 12. He is now the WCC's career leader in 3-point baskets made after breaking a tie with LMU's Jeff Fryer. Foster hit his 364th career 3 knocking down a shot from the corner with 10:44 left in the first half for the record. He finished with a team-high 22 points on three 3-pointers, and has made at least one 3-point basket in 108 of his 115 career games played with five or more 3s in a game 28 times. Foster is now tied for No. 17 on the NCAA Division I all-time threes made list with 378.  He needs two to move to No. 16 and 11 threes to jump into the top 15 all-time.  

Foster's 128 threes made in WCC games is No. 6 all-time in league history.  He needs three to jump into the top five.  He needs five to set the school record set by Steve Nash, when the former two-time NBA MVP made 132 in his 56 league games. Nash is currently No. 4 all-time in WCC only games.

Foster has also launched a bunch of 3s during his career. With 1,038 attempted he is the SCU and WCC leader and he ranks No. 7 in NCAA Division I history. He needs 155 to break the all-time NCAA record set by Keydren Clark in 2006 (1192, Saint Peter's).  Foster has attempted 10 or more 3s in a game 10 times this season and 54 times in his 115 game career.  

(Since 1998-99 – sports-reference.com)

Rk Player 3PA From To Last School

1. Keydren Clark 1192 2003 2006 Saint Peter's

2. David Holston 1147 2006 2009 Chicago State

3. Joe Zeglinski 1140 2007 2011 Hartford

4. Gerry McNamara 1131 2003 2006 Syracuse

5. J.J. Redick 1126 2003 2006 Duke

6. Michael Watson 1098 2001 2004 Missouri-Kansas City

7. Kevin Foster 1038 2009 2013 Santa Clara

8. Chris Lofton 1027 2005 2008 Tennessee

9. Jack Leasure 1009 2005 2008 Coastal Carolina

10. Stephen Curry 1004 2007 2009 Davidson

Dishes

A 2013 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award nominee, Evan Roquemore is Santa Clara's floor leader in minutes played (646) and is averaging 32.3 mpg. Roquemore dished out 10 assists at Pepperdine, the seventh time this season he's dished out at least eight assists, and the 15th time in his career.

Roquemore joined Brian Jones, Steve Nash and Kyle Bailey as the only Broncos to record over 1,100 points and 400 assists in a career when he scored 21 points at LMU on Jan. 10 to reach 1,101 for his career (he now has 1,122). He also added six assists, including his 400th career, against the Lions. He produced his first double-double game of the season, and third career, with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the Cable Car Classic title game win over Wagner on Dec. 22.

Roquemore has 130 assists for the season and ranks 16th nationally with 6.5 a game. He is also on pace to break John Woolery's 1993-94 single season school record of 190 and has a chance to become the fourth Bronco with 500 career assists, all by the end of his junior season.  Roquemore, who currently has 427 career assists, ranks sixth on the school's all-time list and needs 26 dishes to be just the fifth player in school history to collect 453 assists.

First In

Seniors Marc Trasolini (91), Raymond Cowels III (70) and Kevin Foster (107) have started all 20 games for the Broncos this season and have combined for 268 starts in their Santa Clara careers. Evan Roquemore has started 19 of 20 games this season and has 74 career starts under his belt.  The remaining nine players on the roster have a total of 114 career starts with Niyi Harrison leading the group with 44. Foster became the sixth Bronco to start 100 career games when SCU defeated Wagner in the title of the Cable Car Classic on Dec. 22 and is just 10 starts shy of breaking the school record held by Brian Jones.

Bay Area Scorers

After scoring 22 points against BYU on Jan. 12 and then 27 at USF on Jan. 17, Kevin Foster moved up to the West Coast Conference's No. 4 spot, passing LMU's Forrest McKenzie, who scored 2,060 points from 1981-86.  Foster needs 22 points to pass No. 3 Bill Cartwright of USF (2116 pts., 1975-79).

Foster has reached double figures 18 times in 20 games this season, has topped the 20-point mark 12 times, and scored at least 30 in a game twice to lead the Broncos in scoring. Foster became the 7th player in West Coast Conference history to score 2,000 career points, reaching that mark on a runner in the lane early in the second half of SCU's loss to Gonzaga on Jan. 5. He scored his 1,900th career point on a 3-point basket at Pacific on Dec. 15 and also scored career point No. 1,800 on a three-pointer against Utah State on Nov. 28, converting his second 4-point play of the season after being fouled.

Foster became SCU's career points leader, overtaking 1980 WCC Player of the Year Kurt Rambis, in a win at St. Louis on Nov. 14. It's unlikely he will catch LMU's Hank Gathers (1987-90) for the WCC's top spot (2,490), but Foster has a shot at the No. 2 overall spot, currently held by LMU's Terrell Lowery (2,201).  He needs 107 points to move to No. 2 all-time.

Against No. 10 Gonzaga, he became the fourth player in Bay Area Division I history (includes Cal, Stanford, Santa Clara, Saint Mary's, USF and San Jose State), and the first in 21 years, to score 2,000 career points, joining Stanford's Todd Lichti (2,336) and Adam Keefe (2,319) and USF's Bill Cartwright (2,116).

 

Rank/Name School Years Total points

1.Todd Lichti Stanford 1986-89 2,336 

2.Adam Keefe Stanford 1989-92 2,319

3.Bill Cartwright USF 1976-79 2,116

4.Kevin Foster Santa Clara 2008-13 2,096

 

In SCU's 88-75 win over Air Force on March 18, 2011, Foster broke the school record with nine threes, tying a career-high with 36 points.  He also had a career-high 36 in Santa Clara's 85-71 win over Gonzaga on Jan. 20, 2011.  Foster shattered the WCC single season threes made record with 140 in 2010-11, leading the country, and grabbed the nation's top spot in threes made per game as well with 3.68.  His 768 points that year were No. 6 on the WCC's single season points scored list as he finished as the leading scorer in a single season in the Bay Area as well.  He broke the school's single season mark for points scored, minutes played, threes made and threes attempted.  He was named first-team All-WCC and was named the WCC Player of the Month in February and March.  He was named the WCC Player of the Year by CollegeInsider.com.

Foster was nicknamed 'Microwave' by his father during his youth after the Detroit Piston's Vinnie Johnson.  Johnson earned the nickname 'the Microwave' from Celtics guard Danny Ainge for his ability to score many points in a short period of time, heating up the offense. Foster has scored 15+ points in 76 of 115 career games and he has scored 19+ in 56 career games.  Foster's 19+ games follow:  

Opponent/Date                    Pts. (3s)

1. vs. Arizona/Nov. 25, 2008 21 (5) 

2. vs. Belmont/Dec. 29, 2008 24 (3)

3. at Harvard/Jan. 2, 2009 20 (4)

4. at Saint Mary's/Jan. 9, 2009 31 (5)

5. at Portland/Jan. 17, 2009 20 (3)

6. vs. LMU/Jan. 29, 2009 20 (3)

7. vs. Saint Mary's/Feb. 7, 2009 26 (4)

8. at LMU/Feb. 14, 2009 26 (5)

9. at USF/Feb. 21, 2009 20 (2)

10. vs. Gonzaga/Feb. 26, 2009 20 (3)

11. vs. San Diego/March 7, 2009 21 (4)

12. at CSUB/Nov. 13, 2009 21 (3)

13. vs. Menlo/Nov. 19, 2009 19 (4)

14. at Pacific/Nov. 22, 2009 22 (5)

15. vs. Fresno State/Nov. 28, 2009 25 (5)

16. vs. CSU Bakersfield/Nov. 12, 2010 19 (4)

17. at So. California/Nov. 15, 2010 26 (4)

18. vs. Bethune-Cookman/Nov. 21, 2010 21 (6)

19. vs. N. Colorado/Nov. 23, 2010 19 (4)

20. vs. UC Santa Barbara/Dec. 4, 2010 25 (6)

21. at San Jose State/Dec. 10, 2010 26 (3)

22. vs. Washington St./Dec. 19, 2010 29 (4)

23. at CSU Northridge/Dec. 22, 2010 22 (2)

24. vs. Bethany/Jan. 3, 2011 19 (6)

25. vs. USF/Jan. 8, 2011 26 (8)

26. vs. Gonzaga/Jan. 20, 2011 36 (6)

27. vs. Portland/Jan. 22, 2011 19 (3)

28. vs. LMU/Jan. 29, 2011 28 (3)

29. vs. St. Mary's/Feb. 10, 2011 25 (4)

30. vs. San Diego/Feb. 12, 2011 21 (3)

31. at Gonzaga/Feb. 17, 2011 27 (8)

32. at Portland/Feb. 19, 2011 29 (7)

33. vs. Air Force/March 18, 2011 36 (9)

34. at USF/March 22, 2011 27 (3)

35. at SMU (March 25, 2011 35 (5)

36. vs. New Mexico (Nov. 24, 2011) 26 (5)

37. vs. Oklahoma (Nov. 25, 2011) 19 (3)

38. vs. Cal State Northridge (Dec. 3, 2011) 20 (4)

39. vs. Pacific (Dec. 17, 2011) 26 (6)

40. at Houston Baptist (Dec. 21, 2011) 19 (3)

41. vs. Eastern Michigan (Dec. 29, 2011) 25 (6)

42. vs. Wagner (Dec. 30, 2011) 20 (4)

43. at BYU (Jan. 14, 2012) 22 (4)

44. vs. Saint Mary's (Jan. 21, 2012) 22 (5)

45. vs. Simpson (Nov. 10, 2012) 27 (7)

46. at Saint Louis (Nov. 14, 2012) 30 (2)

47. vs. Utah Valley (Nov. 21, 2012) 21 (1)

48. vs. Utah State (Nov. 28, 2012) 27 (5)

49. vs. UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 1, 2012) 28 (4)

50. at Pacific (Dec. 15, 2012) 31 (4)

51. at Duke (Dec. 29, 2012) 29 (5)

52. vs. USF (Jan. 2, 2013) 21 (5)

53. vs. Gonzaga (Jan. 5, 2013) 29 (2)

54. vs. BYU (Jan. 12, 2013) 22 (3)

55. at USF (Jan. 17, 2013) 27 (6)

56. at Pepperdine (Jan. 19, 2013) 29 (6)