Santa Clara Hosts USF Saturday In Nationally-Televised Game on ESPNU

Santa Clara Hosts USF Saturday In Nationally-Televised Game on ESPNU

Santa Clara Game Notes

In its lone game this week, Santa Clara hosts USF on Sat., Feb. 15 in an 8 pm game on ESPNU.  Roxy Bernstein and Corey Williams will make the call. The game will also be broadcast live on KLIV 15900 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. 

The Broncos are 11-15 and 4-9 in the WCC.  The Broncos lost 89-76 at BYU on Feb. 6 and then bounced back to win 69-63 on Feb. 8 at San Diego.  USF is 15-10 and 8-5 in the WCC.  The Dons have lost two of their last three, including a 68-63 defeat at BYU in their last game.  

Last Time, 214 

Santa Clara and USF will meet for the 214th time overall and the second time this season. SCU leads the all-time series 111-102.  Yannick Atanga's tip-in with 53.5 seconds left pulled the Broncos within four, but USF's Tim Derksen sank four free throws in the final 52 seconds and had a key steal as well to help lead the Dons to a 75-66 victory at War Memorial Gym on Jan. 25. The hard-fought battle was highlighted by another career night by Bronco rookie Jared Brownridge.  Brownridge tied a career-high with 30 points, including five threes and 9 of 10 from the free throw line.  It was his second straight WCC game with 30+ points as he scored 30 vs. BYU on Jan. 18. 

Last season the Broncos swept the regular season series against the Dons for the first time since 2008.  Since the formation of what is now the WCC in 1952-53, Santa Clara and USF have played 136 times with SCU holding a 69-67 lead in all games. USF leads 62-61 in regular season conference action with Santa Clara holding a 4-2 lead in WCC tournament games. SCU won the only postseason tournament matchup, 95-91, at USF on Mar. 22, 2011 in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament and the two team's have split six Cable Car Classic games. Santa Clara and USF are two of three original conference members, along with Saint Mary's, and the two played the first conference game at the Cow Palace on Jan. 6, 1953 with USF posting a 59-48 win.

Kerry Keating posted his first career WCC road win at USF (1/28/08) and is 8-7 all-time vs. USF.  Evan Roquemore scored a career-high 30 points at USF to help lead SCU to the CIT semi-finals (3/22/11).  Denzel Johnson has two of his three career 20-point games vs. USF. He scored a career-high 26 points (1/26/12) and had 20 with a career-best five rebounds (2/9/12). 

70 More

With 930 career points, Brandon Clark will be the next Bronco to reach 1,000 career points.  He will be the 32nd Bronco with 1,000 plus points in his career and the seventh under head coach Kerry Keating.

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 1,550 career points.  He needs 22 points to pass No. 11 Kyle Bailey (1,571, 2001-05) and with 37 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 Kevin Foster (No. 1, 2,423 points), Marc Trasolini (No. 5, 1,699 points) and Raymond Cowels III (No. 26, 1,090 points).  

Trending

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 Steve Nash. 

Brownridge averages 16.8 ppg and Rambis averaged 15.3 his freshman year (1976-77).  Brownridge hits 42.0 percent of his threes and Nash scored 40.8 percent (1992-93).  Nash also scored 82.5 percent of his free throws and Brownridge is hitting 85.9 percent from the free throw line.

With at least six games left, Brownridge is on pace to shatter two of Kevin Foster's records from his freshman year (2008-09).  Foster scored 486 points and made 85 threes his freshman year.  Brownridge, who has scored 438 points and made 71 threes, averages 16.8 ppg and 2.7 threes per game.  If he hits his averages in the next six plus games, he would score at least 539 points and make at least 87 threes - both new freshman records. Those numbers would put him at No. 15 all-time in a single season for points and No. 3 all-time for threes in a single season.

Leaders

Three Broncos average double figures: Brandon Clark, Jared Brownridge and Evan Roquemore.  With both starting each of Santa Clara's 26 games this year, Clark averages 17.1 and Brownridge 16.8.  Roquemore adds 10.6 ppg off the bench.  In WCC games, Brownridge is averaging 19.0 ppg, Clark adds 18.4 and Roquemore 10.1.  

Clark also leads the team with 3.4 apg and 1.4 spg.  If he finishes the season at the top of all three, he would be the first Bronco since Brandon Rohe in 2002-03 to do this (10.6 ppg, 2.4 apg, 1.0 spg).  Clark highlights:

+ Clark scored zero points in the season opener vs. Bethesda, but has since scored double figures in 22 of the last 25 games.  Clark has scored 20+ in eight of 13 WCC games this season.  

+ Clark has scored almost 1/4 of his points at the free throw line this year, hitting 85.9 percent (107 of 125).  + Clark has scored 20+ 13 times this year, including a career-high 32 points vs. N.D. State on Nov. 29. During a four-game span (Nov. 12-29), he scored 21+ points in each game; and he was the fourth Bronco player since 2007-08 to accomplish this feat.  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. 

+ 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.  

Brownridge is the top scoring freshman in the WCC and will receive serious consideration for WCC Newcomer of the Year.  He is averaging 19.0 ppg in WCC play which is No. 2 in the league and tops among the rookies.  He has scored 20+ 11 times already this season, including six times in WCC play; and barely missed 20 vs. USD on Jan. 16 (19 points).  Brownridge highlights:

+ Brownridge leads the Broncos in threes made (71) and attempted (169).  Brownridge is shooting a team-high 42.0 percent beyond the arc. That would break the Bronco freshman record set by Steve Nash in 1993 if the season ended today (40.8 percent).  The single season school record was set by Nash in 1994-95 (45.4 percent).  He and Kevin Foster are the only two Bronco freshman to hit 70+ threes as rookies.  Foster owns the record with 85 (2008-09).  His 71 threes are No. 7 on the Bronco single season list.  

+ 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 10.6 ppg and is second on the team with 3.2 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 563.  He is No. 9 all-time in the WCC, passing Gonzaga's John Stockton (554, 1980-84) vs. Portland on Feb. 1.  He needs 11 assists to move past Portland's Darwin Cook (573, 1976-80).  He missed out on an assist at BYU on Feb. 6.  It is just the third time in his career he played a game without an assist.  The other two games were vs. Gonzaga on Jan. 29 and at Cal Poly on Dec. 7, 2013. 

+ The last three straight games, Roquemore has scored single digit points. It is the first time since a four-game stretch in his freshman season (1/3 to 1/15, 2011) that he has collected single digit points.

+ He's just the third player in school history to collect 1,500+ points and 500+ assists.  The other two: Brian Jones (1,722 pts., 517 asts., 1996-01) and Steve Nash (1,689 pts., 510 asts., 1992-96).  

Jerry Brown, a graduate transfer from Fresno State, leads the team with 5.7 rpg and is fourth with 7.6 ppg.    Brown highlights:

+ He scored Santa Clara's 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 has scored 727 career points with 500 rebounds, including 197 points and 149 rebounds with the Broncos. 

Roq Records

Evan Roquemore enters the USF game with 563 career assists, a Bronco school record.  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 125 of 128 career games.  He was credited with no assists three times this year: at Cal Poly, vs. Gonzaga and at BYU. 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 459 career FT made, he needs to make 11 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) and entering the USF game, he is No. 2 in minutes played (4,091).   

Buckets

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 is having an All-WCC-type season as he has scored 20+ 13 times this season, including 20+ in eight of the 13 WCC games this year.  His 13 20+ games are tied for third-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 11 times 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 11 times this year and has scored double-digits in 20 games.  

WCC Freshman of the Year?

Jared Brownridge is second in the West Coast Conference in scoring this season and is putting up the kind of numbers where he will receive serious consideration for WCC Freshman of the Year.  Scoring 30+ points in back-to-back games vs. BYU and at USF, he has scored single digits just twice in WCC play this season (7 at Pacific, 6 vs. Gonzaga).  He has a three in every game this year with the exception of at BYU on Feb. 6 (0-6), vs. Gonzaga on Jan. 29 (0-1) and vs. Sacred Heart on Dec. 18 (0 for 3).

Brownridge collected seven three pointers on a night where he shot 8 of 15 from the field with a game-high seven assists in the win vs. La Sierra on Dec. 14. The seven threes by Brownridge broke the Bronco freshman record set by Nash back in 1993 (6 vs. CS Stanislaus, 1-5-93).  Brandon Rohe (6, vs. Mississippi State Valley, 12-27-02) and Calvin Johnson (6, vs. Cal Poly, 12-10-05) later matched it.  It is the most threes hit by a Bronco since WCC record holder Foster scored nine vs. Air Force on March 18, 2011.

Brownridge has started all 26 games this season and he has scored 18+ points in 13 games thus far, including 14 games with 3+ threes made and 20 double-figure games.  Much of his scoring has been beyond the arc as he has hit 71 threes.  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). 

In the final non-conference game vs. South Florida on Dec. 23, Santa Clara went on a 13-3 run as Brownridge hit a three with 53.8 seconds left to give SCU a one-point lead and then iced it with a pair of free throws with 10.8 ticks left to lead the Broncos to a 66-65 victory.  He also scored eight straight Bronco points late in the second half of the Portland win on Dec. 30 to help seal the victory and scored the game-winning three with 1.2 seconds left on the clock at Saint Mary's on Jan. 9.  He added a career-high 30 points vs. BYU on Jan. 18 and hit 30 again at USF on Jan. 25.

In his first three collegiate basketball games, Brownridge was in elite company at SCU. Only three players since the 1999-2000 season have scored more points in the first three games of the season and Brownridge is the only first-year player among them. In his junior year John Bryant collected 75 points in three games at the outset of the 2007-08 season and Travis Niesen tallied 68 points during the first three games of his 2005-06 senior campaign. Foster went for 65 in the first three games last season. Foster also scored 62 points in 2009 but it took him four team games after he missed the third contest of the season.

Jared Brownridge scored 30 points in back-to-back WCC games vs. BYU on Jan. 18 and at USF on Jan. 25.  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 Brandon 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).

Divsion 1 Freshman Through Feb. 9, 2014 

Points Scored

1. QJ Peterson (VMI) 486 

2. Jabari Parker (DUKE) 460 

3. Andrew Rowsey (UNC Asheville) 454 

4. JARED BROWNRIDGE (SCU) 438  

Three-Pt. Percentage

1. JARED BROWNRIDGE (SCU) 42% 

2. Rashad Muhammad (SJSU) 41.9%

3. Andrew Rowsey (UNC Asheville) 41.6%

Three-Pointers Scored

1. Damon Lin (NJIT) 92 

2. Andrew Rowsey (UNC Asheville) 79

3. JARED BROWNRIDGE (SCU) 71 

Free Throw Percentage

1. Zavier Turner (Ball St.) 88.2%

2. Keon Johnson (Winthrop) 86.3%

3. JARED BROWNRIDGE (SCU) 85.9%