WATCH | EYEBRONCO's Highlights from the Game
With a large BYU fan club in attendance, the Cougars ran out to a 12-1 lead to open the game on New Year's Day and never looked back, finishing off Santa Clara 81-45 at the Leavey Center. Losing 11 straight vs. BYU, dating back to 1972, Santa Clara hasn't won at home vs. the Cougars since Dec. 9, 1961.
Santa Clara finishes its two-game homestand with San Diego on Sat., Jan. 3 at 7 pm. The game will be televised on WTV.com and broadcast on the Bronco Radio Network locally on KDOW 1220 AM and on the website at SantaClaraBroncos.com.
Santa Clara is 6-8 and 1-2 in the WCC. BYU is 12-4 and 2-1 in the WCC.
The Broncos shot 30.4 percent from the field (17 of 56), including 26.1 percent from beyond the arc (6 of 23). The Broncos added 40.0 percent from the foul line (6 of 15). They collected 28 rebounds, 13 assists, six steals, no blocks and 12 turnovers.
Brandon Clark scored 12 points with three rebounds and Jared Brownridge added 10 with six assists. Four Broncos collected four rebounds each (Jalen Richard, Brownridge, Nate Kratch and Emmanuel Ndumanya).
The Cougars shot 47.2 percent from the field (25 of 53), including 36.4 percent from beyond the arc (8 of 22). BYU added 82.1 percent from the foul line (23 of 28). They collected 45 rebounds, 18 assists, seven steals, three blocks and 10 turnovers.
Tyler Haws and Chase Fischer both finished with 14 each. Kyle Collinsworth added 15 rebounds and six assists.
Leading 41-22, BYU opened the second half with a couple of threes by Winder and Clark sandwiched one between him at 17:39. Chase Fisher added one of his own at 14:57, making the BYU lead 26, 53-27.
Following a 10-0 run by BYU to make its lead 38, 67-29, Hubbard scored in the paint at 9:42. Healy knocked down a three at 7:17.
Clark's three at 2:43 cut the BYU lead to 30. Dominic Romeo checked in at 1:54 to play his first WCC minutes. BYU finished the game with the 81-45 victory.
BYU led 41-22 at the half with Haws scoring a game-high 14 points and Collinsworth adding a game-high seven boards. Brownridge led the Broncos with seven points and four rebounds.
BYU opened the game on a 12-1 run with only Hubbard scoring his first free throw on his fourth attempt at 16:17. Brownridge scored inside at 15:14 and then beyond the arc at 14:36 for the Broncos' first baskets.
BYU went on a 22-2 run over the next 6:54 with Hubbard's basket at 12:02 the lone Bronco basket to take a 32-8 lead. During that span the Broncos took their second 30 of the half. Johnson scored a jumper at 7:28 to cut the run as the Cougars led 36-10.
With BYU turning it over four times in a little more than three minutes, Johnson sank a three with 5:00 left on the clock in the first half. Haws scored at 4:11 and BYU led 38-13. The Broncos started to come alive offensively, finishing the half on a 14-3 run and scoring six to BYU's zero over the next couple of minutes to make it 38-19 BYU at 2:07.
NOTES: Starters for the Broncos (career starts): Brandon Clark (51), Nate Kratch (7), Denzel Johnson (25), Jared Brownridge (47) and Matt Hubbard (12) … Santa Clara is 5-22 vs. BYU all-time and has lost 11 straight games to the Cougars. The Broncos' last series win came on Dec. 2, 1972 when they defeated No. 12 BYU, 66-64, in Provo. The Broncos' last win vs. BYU in Santa Clara came almost 54 years ago and it was actually two wins on back-to-back days. The Broncos defeated BYU 64-53 on Dec. 8, 1961 and then 71-55 on Dec. 9, 1961 … Attendance was 2,375.
