Santa Clara (10-12, 3-6) hosts Gonzaga (18-3, 8-1) on Wed., Jan. 29 and then Portland (12-9, 4-5 WCC) on Sat., Feb. 1. Portland plays at USF Thursday night. The SCU-Gonzaga game will be shown live on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area as well as TheW.tv. Glen Kuiper and Dan Belluomini will make the call. The game will also be broadcast live on KDOW 1220 AM and SantaClaraBroncos.com as part of the Bronco Radio Network. Anthony Passarelli is in his seventh season as the Broncos' play-by-play announcer.
Santa Clara lost its only game last week. The Broncos fell 75-66 at USF on Jan. 25. Jared Brownridge scored a career-high 30 points at USF and Brandon Clark added 12 points as well. It was Brownridge's second straight game with 30 points as he collected the same tally the Saturday before vs. BYU (Jan. 18).
Only three Bronco player have had back-to-back 30+ point games: Dennis Awtrey (March 1 and 7, 1969); Kurt Rambis (Jan. 4 and 5, 1980) and Kevin Foster (March 25 and 27, 2013). Awtrey and Rambis both scored 30+ in back-to-back WCC games as did Brownridge and Foster's came in SCU's CBI title run at Purdue and Wright State.
Brownridge and Clark are just the second set of Bronco teammates to have multiple 30 point games in the same season. The only other set of SCU teammates to accomplish this: Rambis and Londale Theus did in the 1979-80 season. Theus scored 30+ twice that season (Jan. 25, 1980 and March 2, 1980) and Rambis scored 30+ three times (Jan. 4, 1980, Jan. 5, 1980 and Jan. 25, 1980).
Most 30 pt games in a season:
Dennis Awtrey 5 (68-69)
Kevin Foster 4 (12-13)
Steve Nash 4 (94-95)
Kevin Foster 3 (10-11)
Londale Theus 3 (78-79)
Kurt Rambis 3 (79-80)
Wednesday's Opponent
Gonzaga is not ranked this week in the AP poll, but is ranked No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs are 8-1 in WCC play with their lone blemish being an 82-73 loss at Portland on Jan. 9. Last week in Spokane they defeated San Diego 59-56 on Jan. 23 and BYU 84-69 on Jan. 25.
This will be the 82nd all-time meeting between Santa Clara and Gonzaga with the Bulldogs holding a 49-32 record. They are riding a six-game series win streak. SCU is 22-15 vs. Gonzaga in Santa Clara. SCU's last win over the Zags came on Jan. 20, 2011 with an 85-71 decision in the Leavey Center. That win broke a 10-game home losing skid to Gonzaga. Evan Roquemore has 15 games with 8 or more assists in his career and two have come vs. Gonzaga (1/7/12 and 2/17/11). Denzel Johnson had a career-best 5 assists vs. GU (2/16/12).
Leaders
Three Broncos average double figures: Brandon Clark, Jared Brownridge and Evan Roquemore.
Clark leads the team with 17.4 ppg and 3.7 apg. If he finishes the season at the top, he would be the first Bronco since Brandon Rohe in 2002-03 to do this (10.6 ppg, 2.4 apg). He is averaging 19.7 ppg in league play, No. 3 among the leaders. Clark highlights:
+ Clark scored zero points in the season opener vs. Bethesda, but has since scored double figures in 18 of the last 21 games.
+ Clark has scored almost 1/4 of his points at the free throw line this year, hitting 84.4 percent (92 of 109).
+ Clark will most likely be the next Bronco to reach 1,000 career points as he has 868. He would be the 31st Bronco with 1,000 plus points in his career and the seventh 1,000 point scorer under head coach Kerry Keating.
+ Clark has scored 20+ 12 times, including a career-high 32 points vs. N.D. State on Nov. 29. Clark has scored 20+ in seven of nine WCC games this season. He scored 16 vs. Pepperdine to start league play at home on Jan. 2 and 12 at USF on Jan. 25. He is averaging 19.7 ppg in WCC play.
+ Clark scored a WCC career-high with 26 points vs. LMU on Jan. 4 (career high is 32 vs. North Dakota State on Nov. 29). Half of Clark's points vs. the Lions came at the free throw line, as the East Chicago, Ind. native went 13 of 14 from the free throw line. Santa Clara's top three most-recent performances at the free throw line have all come vs. LMU.
+ Scoring 30 points vs. Sacred Heart on Dec. 18, he was the 13th Bronco in school history to have multiple 30+ point games in a single season.
+ During a four-game span this season (Nov. 12-29), Clark scored 21+ points in each game; and he was the fourth Bronco player since 2007-08 to accomplish this feat.
Brownridge is second with 17.2 ppg as the top scoring freshman in the WCC. He is averaging 20.9 ppg in WCC play which is No. 2 in the league. Brownridge leads the Broncos in threes made (66) and attempted (146). Brownridge highlights:
+ Brownridge is shooting a team-high 45.2 percent beyond the arc. That percentage is tops in the country for rookies this season and No. 13 overall nationally (and leads the WCC). He is averaging a team-leading 3.0 threes per game which is tops in the WCC and No. 25 in the country. Gonzaga's sharpshooter Kevin Pangos is No. 2 in both categories.
+ He has scored 20+ 10 times this season already, including five times in WCC play; and just barely missed 20 vs. USD on Jan. 16 (19 points).
+ He scored a career-high 30 points vs. BYU on Jan. 18, adding four threes and hitting 8 of 8 free throws. He followed that performance up with 30 points at USF on Jan. 25, adding five threes and scoring 9 of 10 from the free throw line. He is just the third Bronco in school history to score 30+ points in back-to-back WCC games, joining Dennis Awtrey (1969) and Kurt Rambis (1980). He is the 17th Bronco in school history to have multiple 30+ point games and the 14th in school history to do it more than once in a single season.
Roquemore is third with 11.4 ppg and is second on the team with 3.4 apg. Roquemore highlights:
+ Already the school record holder for a single season with assists (2012-13), he is also the career school record for assists with 554.
+ He is just the third player in school history to collect 1,500+ points and 500+ assists. The other two: Brian Jones (1,722 points, 517 assists, 1996-01) and Steve Nash (1,689 points, 510 assists, 1992-96).
+ His 20 points and five threes were a season-high at Portland on Dec. 30.
Jerry Brown, a graduate transfer from Fresno State, leads the team with 5.9 rpg and is fourth with 7.9 ppg. Brown highlights:
+ He scored the Broncos lone double-double this year vs. SJSU (16 pts., 10 reb., Nov. 12, 2013).
+ Brown is working on a Master's in Communication as he redshirted his sophomore year at Fresno State.
+ He came off the bench the first four games, then started 12 straight. After coming off the bench four straight games, he started vs. BYU on Jan. 18 and then came off the bench at USF on Jan. 25.
+ He has scored 703 career points with 482 rebounds, including 164 points and 124 rebounds with the Broncos.
20+ Club
Prior to this year, Brandon Clark hadn't scored 20+ points in a college or high school game since he scored 29 in an AAU game in eighth grade. Clark has scored 20+ 12 times this season, including 20+ in seven of the nine WCC games this year. His 12 20+ games are sixth-most since 2000-01. Tops on the list since 2000-01 - Kevin Foster scored 20+ 20 times in 2012-13.
Jared Brownridge has scored 20+ points 10 times already this year - second best for a Bronco freshman since 1990-91. Kevin Foster scored 20+ points 11 times his freshman season Brownridge has led the Broncos in scoring 10 times this year and has scored double-digits in 17 games.
With two 30+ point games this season already, Brownridge and Clark are just the second set of teammates to have multiple 30 point games in the same season. The only other set of Bronco teammates to accomplish this: Rambis and Londale Theus did in the 1979-80 season. Theus scored 30+ twice that season (Jan. 25, 1980 and March 2, 1980) and Rambis scored 30+ three times (Jan. 4, 1980, Jan. 5, 1980 and Jan. 25, 1980).
MOST 20+ PT GAMES, SEASON
(SINCE '00-'01)
1. 20 Kevin Foster ('12-'13)
2. 16 Kevin Foster ('10-'11)
3. 13 John Bryant ('08-'09)
13 John Bryant ('07-'08)
13 Travis Niesen ('05-'06)
6. 12 Brandon Clark ('13-'14)
7. 11 Marc Trasolini ('12-'13)
11 Kevin Foster ('08-'09)
9. 10 Jared Brownridge ('13-'14)
10 Doron Perkins ('04-'05)
Roquemore
Evan Roquemore enters the Gonzaga game with 554 career assists, a Bronco school record. That total is tied with former Zag John Stockton at No. 9 all-time on the WCC list (554, 1980-84). Roquemore broke the Bronco career assists record vs. Radford on Dec. 16 with a dandy dish to Jared Brownridge in the first half, topping Brian Jones (517, 1996-2001). Last year Roquemore set the single season assists record with 196, topping John Woolery (190, 1993-94).
Roquemore has collected an assist in 123 of 124 career games. He was credited with no assists in SCU's 64-53 loss at Cal Poly on Dec. 7. Looking back, Jones missed an assist in just three games (Dec. 21, 1996 at Pacific, Jan. 22, 1997 at USF; and March 4, 2000 vs. USF). Jones only had one game his final three years without an assist (USF, 2000). Steve Nash had 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 during his Bronco career.
With 454 career free throws made, he needs to make 17 to break the school record set by Ken Sears (470, 1951-55). The career minutes played record was set last year by Kevin Foster (4,212). Entering the Zags game, he is No. 2 in minutes played (3,940). He has started in 106 career games (T-6) and played in 124 games (T-7).
The team's lone 1,000+ career point scorer, Roquemore missed the first four games with a back injury. Roquemore sits at No. 12 with 1,521 career points. He needs 51 points to pass No. 11 Kyle Bailey (1,571, 2001-05) and with 66 points he will pass No. 10 Ken Sears (1,586 points, 1951-55). Last year's Bronco team was the first team in WCC history to feature four 1,000 point career scorers. Along with Roquemore, the team had Foster (No. 1, 2,423 points), Trasolini (No. 5, 1,699 points) and Cowels III (No. 26, 1,090 points).
Brownridge
Jared Brownridge has hit 66 threes this year, which is 17 more than Steve Nash hit his entire rookie season (49). The 66 threes put him at No. 2 on the Bronco freshman records list. The freshman school record was set by Kevin Foster in 2008-09 when he crushed 85.
If the season finished today, Brownridge would break the freshman school records for points per game, three point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Those records belong to Kurt Rambis and Nash.
Bronco Freshman Records Chase
Scoring Average
Jared Brownridge (2013-14) 17.2
1. Kurt Rambis (1976-77) 5.3
Three-Point FG Pct. (Minimum 20 made)
Jared Brownridge (2013-14) .452
1. Steve Nash (1992-93) 408
Free Throw Percentage (Minimum 30 made)
Jared Brownridge (2013-14) 839
1. Steve Nash (1992-93) 825
Brownridge has started all 22 games this season and he has scored 18+ points in 12 games thus far, including 14 games with 3+ threes made and 17 double-figure games. Much of his scoring has been beyond the arc as Brownridge has collected 5+ threes four times. Foster accomplished this feat three times in his 33-game rookie season (5 vs. Arizona, Nov. 25, 2008; at Saint Mary's, Jan. 9, 2009; and at LMU, Feb. 14, 2009). All told, Foster scored seven threes twice, eight threes twice and nine threes once (the school record for a single game).
Blocks
Yannick Atanga is No. 6 all-time with 82 career blocks. He needs 12 blocks to pass No. 5 Kurt Rambis (93, 1976-80). Atanga has 20 blocks this year to lead the team, including at least a single block in 15 of 22 games.
After leading the league in rebounds last year, Atanga is No. 2 on the team in rebounds this year with 5.0 rpg and has collected 10+ boards in 11 career games. A native of Yaounde, Cameroon, Atanga spent time playing last summer with the Cameroon National Team in China as part of a four-nation tournament. Playing basketball since he was 12 years old and now sporting a 7'4 wing span, Atanga dreams one day of working for the United Nations as a peacekeeper in Africa.
Robert Garrett is No. 7 all-time with 73 career blocks. He is tied with Nate Kratch at No. 3 on the team with 14 blocks this season. Garrett passed Brendan Groves (70, 1994-96) when he scored three blocks vs. Pepperdine. Jerry Brown is second on the team with 19 blocks.
