Click here to watch guards Jared Brownridge and Brandon Clark talk about the victory!
Moraga, Calif. – With freshman Jared Brownridge crushing a three at the top of the key with 1.2 seconds left to put the Broncos up by two, Santa Clara won 57-55 at Saint Mary's on Thursday night. It is the 27th straight game the Broncos have won when shooting better from the field than their opponent. The Broncos trailed by 13 in the first half at 2:34.
Santa Clara is 10-8 and 3-2 in the WCC. Saint Mary's is 12-5 and 2-2 in the WCC. Santa Clara travels to Stockton to play at Pacific at 1 pm on Sat., Jan. 11.
Santa Clara shot 47.1 percent from the field (24 of 51), including 66.7 percent from beyond the arc (8 of 12). The Broncos shot 50.0 percent from the free throw line (1 of 2). They collected 30 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, nine blocks and had 10 turnovers.
Brownridge scored 23 and was 10 of 16 from the field, including 3 of 5 from the three. He added a team-high six rebounds. The league's leading scorer, Brandon Clark, had 20 points, five rebounds and two assists. Yannick Atanga had five rebounds and two blocks.
Saint Mary's shot 37.5 percent from the field (21 of 56), including 25.0 percent from beyond the arc (4 of 16). The Gaels shot 60.0 percent from the free throw line (9 of 15). They collected 36 rebounds, eight assists, six steals, eight blocks and had seven turnovers.
Individually the Gaels were led by Brad Waldow, who scored 17 points and added 14 rebounds. Beau Levesque scored 12 points and two blocks. James Walker III had 12 points. Stephen Holt had seven points and five assists.
The Broncos opened the second half on a 14-5 run, including seven straight by Clark. After the Gaels whistled for time at 17:30, Brownridge crushed a three at the top of the key and then scored inside to tie it up 34-34 at 15:36.
A Gaels 6-0 run was followed by a 14-footer by Brownridge at 13:57 to start a 10-0 Bronco run. Clark scored a runner at 13:05 and then a three at 11:59 to put the Broncos up by one, 41-40. Richard banked one in at the buzzer to make the lead four at 11:05.
Waldow stopped the Broncos run inside at 9:59. Clark stepped to the line at 7:45 to sink a free throw, 45-42. It was Santa Clara's first free throws of the night and their only trip to the line.
Waldow missed a pair of free throws at 6:36 and Roquemore laid it in at 5:30 to make the Bronco lead three again, 47-44. It was Santa Clara's first field goal since 11:05. The next trip to the line Waldow made both at 5:14 and then pushed inside for a basket to give the Gaels the lead at 3:47.
Brownridge drove inside for two at 3:24 to put SCU back up by one. Walker III made a free throw at 2:57 to tie it up 49-49.
Brownridge scored his 17th point of the night from 14 feet out, 51-49 Broncos at 2:34. Waldow missed the first free throw and Atanga grabbed the board. Brownridge's attempt hit the iron and went five feet in the air before falling in for a three at 1:56, 54-49 Broncos. Levesque scored the and one at 1:31, 54-52 Broncos.
Holt crushed a three with 21.1 seconds left to put the Gaels up by one, 55-54. Waldow was whistled for a foul with 5.7 seconds left and the Broncos called for time. The Gaels countered with their own time.
John McArthur inbounded the ball to Roquemore and he passed it to Brownridge who went to the top of the key and crushed his third three of the night to put the Broncos up 57-55. Levesque inbounded the ball for the Gaels and threw it straight to McArthur. The Broncos won 57-55.
The first half featured runs of six and nine for the Gaels as they went up by as many as 13 at 2:34 (29-16).
The Gaels started the game with a 4-0 run before McArthur knocked down a three at 16:24. It was his fifth three of the year and his third-ever in WCC play. Holt and Brown traded baskets inside.
A 6-0 run by the Gaels put them up 12-5 at 11:52. The Broncos 6-2 run with back-to-back baskets by Clark and a six-footer by Brownridge made it 14-11 at 9:51.
A Gaels 9-0 run included a three from Walker III to put SMC up 23-11 at 7:30. After a Bronco timeout, a three by Clark at 6:43 stopped the run.
A three by Walker III and a free throw by Hodgson made it 29-16 at 2:34. Jerry Brown's tip in dunk at the horn made it 29-20 at the half.
Game notes: For the second straight game, the Broncos started Evan Roquemore, Brandon Clark, Jared Brownridge, John McArthur and Yannick Atanga.