Santa Clara - San Diego Highlights
Santa Clara, Calif. – With the Bronco bench sparking the Broncos to a 10-2 run in the middle of the second half, Santa Clara defeated San Diego 61-52 on Thursday night in the Leavey Center. With the win, the Broncos go up by a half game in fourth place over USD. Santa Clara hosts Pepperdine on Sat., Feb. 16 at 7 pm on WCC Digital.
Santa Clara is 18-8 and 6-5 in the WCC. San Diego is 13-14 and 6-6 in the WCC.
Santa Clara was led by Marc Trasolini's 17 points, 10 boards and a block. Brandon Clark scored 11 with three assists. Kevin Foster (3-13, 2-6) scored nine and Raymond Cowels III scored eight, adding six rebounds. Cowels III needs seven more points for 1,000 career points.
Evan Roquemore had five assists, but was 2-10 from the field, including 0-5 from the three. Yannick Atanga led everyone on the boards with 11 rebounds.
Santa Clara shot 35.1 percent from the field (20 of 57), including 21.1 percent from beyond the arc (4 of 19). The Broncos collected 41 rebounds, 12 assists, five blocks, 10 steals and had 10 turnovers. They shot 68 percent from the free throw line (17 of 25).
Trasolini scored a free throw and an inside bucket to start the game. Anderson made a pair of free throws at 18:27 and Robert Garrett scored his own pair at 17:29 to make it 5-2 SCU. Trasolini made a fancy move to the basket and hit one from five feet out at 16:22.
Cowels III scored his first three of the night at 15:06 to make it 10-2 Broncos. Billy Grier whistled for a quick 30 to calm the Toreros. Trasolini and Brandon Clark scored inside back-to-back and the Broncos led 14-2 at 14:19. USD was tied up and forced to call its second timeout in a little more than a minute at 13:53.
John Sinis scored USD's first basket at 13:42, a three. Trasolini responded quick with a two at 13:30 and SCU led 16-5. USD then went on a 9-0 run to pull within two in 2:28. Dee scored two buckets between a Sinis three and then Sinus scored inside again. The Broncos called a timeout at 8:45. During the USD scoring run, SCU was 0-8 from the field.
Cowels III hit a couple of free throws at 7:47 to stop the USD run, but a three by Sinis made it a one-point lead for the Broncos at 7:33. Dee's bucket at 4:14 put USD up 19-18. After a 0-12 run from field goal range, Foster hit a bucket inside at 3:51 to give the Broncos a 20-19 lead.
Foster fouled Rancifer in shooting a three and he sank all three free throws at 1:50. Cowels III answered with a three at 1:28. Rancifer sank a three on Foster at 1:11, 25-23 USD. USD led 25-23 at the half.
Santa Clara was led in the first half by Trasolini's nine points and six rebounds. Cowels III had eight with five rebounds. Foster was 1-7 including 0-4 from the three. Roquemore had three assists.
San Diego was led by Sinis' 13 points. Dee had four points and six rebounds.
Santa Clara shot 28.6 percent from the field (8 of 28), including 18.2 percent from beyond the arc (2 of 11). The Broncos collected 22 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, four steals and had eight turnovers. They shot 71.4 percent from the free throw line (5 of 7).
San Diego shot 29.6 percent from the field (8 of 27), including 40.0 percent from beyond the arc (4 of 10). The Toreros collected 19 rebounds, six assists, one block, two steals and had eight turnovers. They shot 100.0 percent from the free throw line (5 of 5).
Trasolini and Roquemore both scored out of the locker room in the second half, putting SCU up 27-26. Rancifer's free throws gave USD a one-point lead. Foster's three at 18:03 made it 30-28 Broncos. Rancifer tied it up at 17:20 and Kok gave USD a lead with a free throw at 16:51, 31-30.
Atanga banked one off the glass for his first free throw of the night to tie it up 31-31 at 15:26. Rancifer hit a three at 14:28 and Trasolini scored at 13:37 to pull SCU within one, 34-33 USD. Dee scored inside at 13:01. Denzel Johnson's bucket at 10:38 stopped a 1-9 slide for the Broncos from the field. Anderson danced inside for a bucket.
Harrison was fouled when shooting again at 9:09 and he sank one to put SCU up 39-38 at 9:09. B. Clark sank a pair at 8:26 to put SCU up by three, 41-38. After Manresa scored, B. Clark matched him at 7:46. J. Clarke scored at 7:20 when Grier whistled for USD's third timeout with the Broncos leading 45-40. Manresa stopped the run with a jumper and B. Clark scored again inside at 6:42. Dee hit a pair of free throws to pull USD within three at 6:22 when the five Bronco starters checked back in.
Roquemore scored at 6:07 to push the Bronco lead to five again, 49-44. Foster's second three made it 52-44 at 4:47. Roquemore's dunk flew off the iron at 4:25 and he was called for a technical for hanging on the rim. Dee sank both free throws.
Atanga was fouled on the defensive end by Kok and he made one and then grabbed the ball in a tussle on the miss at 4:01. Trasolini sank one from 10 feet out to put SCU up nine at 4:00, 55-46.
Trasolini converted two free throws for a nine-point Bronco lead at 2:28.
Santa Clara was able to close out the 61-52 win.
Game Notes
Kevin Foster started his 113th career game. He is second all-time and needs to start four more games to break the school record set by Brian Jones (116, 1996-01). Foster is tied for No. 8 in career games played (Jason Sedlock, 121, 1992-97).
Raymond Cowels III and Marc Trasolini played in their 125th career game. They need to play in three more games to break the school record set by Ben Dowdell (128, 2007-11). Trasolini is ninth-all-time with 97 career starts.