Men's Basketball Opens Three-Game Homestand Saturday Night

Men's Basketball Opens Three-Game Homestand Saturday Night

/la_sierra_notes.pdf#mce_temp_url#Santa Clara returns home on Sat., Dec. 14 to begin a three-game homestand.  The Broncos will host La Sierra on Dec. 14 before their attention turns to the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. The Broncos will host Radford on Mon., Dec. 16 at 7 pm and then finish with Sacred Heart on Wed., Dec. 18 at 8:15 pm. Opening the SCU doubleheader, the Bronco women host UC Davis at 6 pm prior to the Sacred Heart game.  It is the fourth doubleheader the Broncos have been a part of this year.

The Broncos will be meeting La Sierra, Radford and Sacred Heart for the first time in school history.  Santa Clara is 3-5 this season.  The Broncos picked up their first road win in Bakersfield on Dec. 5 behind three Broncos in double figures: Evan Roquemore (12), Nate Kratch (11) and Jerry Brown (10).  Brown and Robert Garrett, off the bench, led the team with eight boards each and Jared Brownridge dished a game-high five assists.  The Broncos fell 64-53 two nights later at Cal Poly.  Brandon Clark and Roquemore both scored 12 and Kratch added 11. 

Ear, Eye

The La Sierra-Santa Clara game will be broadcast live on KLIV 1590 AM and also SantaClaraBroncos.com.  Anthony Passarelli is in his seventh season as the Broncos' play-by-play announcer.  The game will be live streamed and can be found on SantaClaraBroncos.com.

Future

The Broncos are playing this year in the 13th annual Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic with two first round games in the Leavey Center Dec. 16 and 18.  The Broncos will host Radford on Dec. 16 and Sacred Heart on Dec. 18.  The Broncos will then play UNLV on Dec. 22 in the Orleans Arena, the same site as the WCC Championship in March.  If the Broncos win on Dec. 22, they will play at 7:30 pm. If they lose, they will play in the 5 pm game.  The Broncos will play either Mississippi State or South Florida on Dec. 23, depending on the outcome Dec. 22.

The Classic field also includes Florida Golf Coast and Florida A &M. 

Santa Clara will travel to Orlando next Thanksgiving for the Old Spice Classic.  The eight-team field will feature Michigan State and Kansas, along with Santa Clara, Georgia Tech, Marquette, Rider, Tennessee and Xavier. The ninth annual event will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, Nov. 27, 28 and 30, 2014 at the HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.

The 2014 Old Spice Classic, a bracket-format tournament, will feature 12 games over the three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in a championship match Sunday, Nov. 30. 

It is the first time Santa Clara will play in the Old Spice Classic. Gonzaga won the Classic title in 2012.

The Golden Eagles

La Sierra comes to Santa Clara with a 2-9 record, including 0-6 on the road.  The Golden Eagles have been off for finals since Dec. 3 when they dropped a 95-86 game at Biola University.    The Broncos also lost 97-79 at CSU Northridge on Nov. 30.  The Golden Eagles are headed up by Derek Robbins, a 2001 Cal Baptist graduate.  Robbins is in his first year as the head coach at LSU, but his fourth season with the program.  The Golden Eagles were 5-24 last season, including 2-16 on the road.

La Sierra was established in 1922 and is located in Riverside, Calif.  Previously a member of the NCAA Division III, La Sierra has been a member of the NAIA since July 1, 2010.

Mini-Recap: 2013

Before the Bronco's 60-42 win at Bakersfield on Dec. 5 and their 64-53 loss at Cal Poly on Dec. 7, Santa Clara lost 91-85 to North Dakota State, the eventual champion, on Nov. 29.  The next night, Santa Clara's comeback story wasn't finished successfully vs. Rice.  Taking the lead with 6.7 second left, after being down by as many as 12 in the second half, Santa Clara couldn't stop a slashing Keith Washington from driving to the basket for a bucket and lost 67-66.  Brandon Clark was named to the Cable Car Classic All-Tournament team after scoring 47 points in two games.

The Broncos started the year by defeating Bethesda on Nov. 8, 84-39, and then defeated cross-town rival San Jose State, 89-77, on Nov. 12.  They dropped an 86-73 game at Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17 and fell 84-69 at Notre Dame on Nov. 22.

We

The Broncos have three players averaging double figures in the scoring column in the early going: Brandon Clark averages 16.9 ppg, Jared Brownridge adds 14.0 ppg and Evan Roquemore 12.2.  Clark leads the team with 3.5 apg and is the team's best free throw shooter as well (86.5 percent). Clark had scored 21+ points in four straight games, including a career-high 32 vs. North Dakota State, before he put up 15 on Nov. 30 vs. Rice, nine at Bakersfield and 12 at Cal Poly.  He has helped his scoring average by making 32 of 37 free throws, including 7 of 7 vs. North Dakota State and 8 of 10 at Cal State Fullerton.  

Brownridge leads the Broncos in threes made (22) and attempted (51).  Yannick Atanga, coming off the bench in the last four games, leads the team with 1.25 bpg and is second on the team with 5.8 rpg.  Atanga had the 11th double-digit rebound game of his career vs. San Jose State.  He led the league in rebounds last season.  

The Broncos started the 2013-14 season with a bang.  SCU came away with a 45-point victory over Bethesda on Nov. 8 to open the year.  Brownridge led the Bronco charge with 25 points, including five threes with six assists.  Brownridge was just one three made shy of tying the school record for freshmen set by Steve Nash in 1993.  Jalen Richard chipped in 15, Brown 13 and Julian Clarke 11.

Stuck?

Evan Roquemore entered the Cal Poly game with 510 career assists and is tied with two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash '96 at No. 2 all-time.  Playing in his 111th career game at Cal Poly, Roquemore wasn't credited with a single assist. It was the first time in his Bronco career he hasn't had at least one assist in a game.  

Roquemore is just the third player in school history to score 1,300+ points and collect 500+ assists.  The other two were Brian Jones (1,722 points, 517 assists, 1996-01) and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash (1,689 points, 510 assists, 1992-96).  Nash was named the WCC Player of the Year in 1995 and '96 and Jones was a three-time All-WCC First Team honoree.

Jones missed an assist in just three games in his career: Dec. 21, 1996 at Pacific, Jan. 22, 1997 at USF; and March 4, 2000 vs. USF.  He only had one game his final three years without an assist (the USF game in 2000).  Nash collected eight games his freshman year with no assists, but the final three years of his career he had at least one assist in every game he played in.

Rhymes With Scratch

Freshman-redshirt Nate Kratch laced together two quality starts on the road last weekend.  In the win at CSUB, he scored 11 points and grabbed two rebounds and two steals.  He was a career-best 4 of 6 from the field, including a career-best 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.  He scored 11 points with seven rebounds and added a career-high four blocked shots at Cal Poly.  

Kratch made his first three on his first attempt in his first game for the Broncos. It should come as no surprise as Kratch comes from an athletic family!  His dad, Bob, played football at Iowa and later won a Super Bowl ring with the NY Giants in 1991.  His mother Kristi was a high jumper at Iowa and cleared a personal best of 5'11. His older brother Colby played tight end at Toledo University and is now a graduate assistant for the Rockets.  His younger sister MacKenzie, 18, strives to be a Division I hockey player next year.

The athleticism doesn't end there for Kratch.  His maternal grandmother played professional basketball for the Redheads and was inducted into the Professional Basketball Hall of Fame in New York City at Madison Square Garden last year.  She once scored 70 points in a high school game, something she has reminded Nate of a few times during his high school career.  And finally, his paternal grandfather played baseball at Long Island University and two Kratch Uncles played football at Cornell and Central College 

Governor

Jerry Brown, who leads the team with 6.9 rpg, has started the last four games and his production has increased during the increased time on the court.  He is averaging 7.75 rpg and 9.0 ppg in the four-game span.  Brown scored his third career double-double and his first for the Broncos with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win over San Jose State.  Marc Trasolini was the last Bronco to record a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds vs. Portland on Jan. 31, 2013. 

Brown started his 100th career game on Nov. 30 and played at Fresno State prior to graduating last spring and coming to Santa Clara for his fifth season, a redshirt year.  He is working on a Master's degree in Psychology.

Not Here

 Yannick Atanga is climbing up some records charts as he is No. 6 with 72 career blocks.  He needs 22 blocks to pass No. 5 Kurt Rambis (93, 1976-80).  Robert Garrett is No. 8 with 67 career blocks.  Atanga has 10 blocks this year to lead the team.  Jerry Brown and Nate Kratch are also making their bid for the team's top shot blocker as both have eight this season, including the four Kratch scored at Cal Poly on Dec. 7. 

Inching Up

Evan Roquemore has a chance to break five Bronco career records this year.  Entering the La Sierra game, he is tied for No. 2 in assists, No. 3 in free throws made and No. 6 in minutes played.  He is also on pace to break the records for games started (95) and games played (111).  The games started career record was set last year by Kevin Foster (125) and the games played record was broken last year by Raymond Cowels III and Marc Trasolini (137).

Roquemore is tied at No. 2 with Nash with 510 assists.  He needs just eight more to break the school recorded for career assists set by Brian Jones (517, 1996-01).  With 424 career free throws made, Roquemore needs to make 47 free throws to break the school record of 470 set by Ken Sears in 1951-55.  He is No. 6 all-time in free throw percentage at .802.  Nash holds the school record at .861. 

The team's lone 1,000+ career point scorer, Roquemore has started the past four games and is averaging 12.2 ppg this year.  Roquemore came off the bench at 14:56 in the first half at Notre Dame for his first action this season. He missed the first three games with a back issue.  

Roquemore sits at No. 17 with 1,377 career points.  He needs to score 210 points to move past No. 10 Ken Sears (1,586 points, 1951-55) and four points to pass No. 16 Travis Niesen (1,380 points, 2002-06).  Last year's Bronco team was the first team in West Coast Conference history to feature four 1,000 point career scorers. Along with Roquemore, the team had seniors Kevin Foster (No. 1, 2,423 points), Marc Trasolini (No. 5, 1,699 points) and Raymond Cowels III (No. 26, 1,090 points).

Roquemore needs to start one more game to jump into the top 10.  He is No. 6 in career minutes played, passing Nash already this season, and enters the La Sierra game with 3,577 minutes played.  Foster also holds the record for minutes played with 4,212.

Career 1,000 Points Scored

1. Kevin Foster (2008-13) 2,423

2. Kurt Rambis (1976-80) 1,736

3. Harold Keeling (1981-85) 1,731

4. Brian Jones (1996-01) 1,722

5. Marc Trasolini (2008-13) 1,699

6. Steve Nash (1992-96) 1,689

7. Dennis Awtrey (1967-70) 1,675

8. John Bryant (2005-09) 1,667  

9. Londale Theus (1976-80) 1,643

10. Ken Sears (1951-55) 1,586

11. Kyle Bailey (2001-05) 1,571

12. Mike Stewart (1970-73) 1,446

13. Bud Ogden (1966-69) 1,437

14. Nick Vanos (1981-85) 1,399

15. Mike Gervasoni (1964-67) 1,393

16. Travis Niesen (2002-06) 1,380

17. Evan Roquemore (2010-) 1,377

18. Jens Gordon (1985-89) 1,356

19. Marlon Garnett (1993-97) 1,346

20. Ralph Ogden (1967-70) 1,280

21. Mitch Burley (1985-89) 1,258

22. Frank Sobrero (1957-60) 1,256

23. Ron Reis (1988-92) 1,246

24. Nathan Fast (1996-00)  1,182

25. Scott Lamson (1981-85)  1,120

26. Raymond Cowels III (2009-13) 1,090

27. Brody Angley (2004-08) 1,074

28.  Dan Weiss (1984-88)  1,070

29. DeWayne Lewis (1990-94) 1,032

30. Jim Young (1951-54)  1,016

31. Glen Hubbard (1972-76) 1,012

 

Career Assists

1. Brian Jones (1996-01) 517

2. Evan Roquemore (2010-) 510

Steve Nash (1992-96) 510

4. Brody Angley (2004-2008) 506

5. Eddie Joe Chavez (1974-78) 482

6. Kevin Foster (2008-13) 464

7. Kyle Bailey (2001-05) 452

8. Steve Kenilvort (1982-86) 423

9. John Woolery (1990-94) 422

10. Harold Keeling (1981-85) 344

Assist records kept only since 1973-74

 

Career Free Throws Made

1. Ken Sears (1951-55)  470

2. Kevin Foster (2008-13) 450

3. Evan Roquemore (2010-) 424

4. Brian Jones (1996-01)  414

5. Bud Ogden (1966-69) 385

6. Marc Trasolini (2008-13) 383

Dennis Awtrey (1967-70)  383

8. Harold Keeling (1981-85) 381

9. Mike Stewart (1970-73) 376

10. Mike Gervasoni (1964-67) 371

 

Career Minutes Played

1. Kevin Foster (2008-13) 4,212

2. Kyle Bailey (2001-05) 3,897

3. Marc Trasolini (2008-13) 3,824

4. Brody Angley (2004-08) 3,670

5. Steve Kenilvort (1982-86) 3,633

6. Evan Roquemore (2010-) 3,547

7. Brian Jones (1996-01) 3,477

8. Mitch Burley (1985-89) 3,469

9. Steve Nash (1992-96) 3,402

10. Harold Keeling (1981-85) 3,317