WATCH | EYEBRONCO's Highlights from the Game
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – With three players scoring double figures, Portland won 74-54 at Santa Clara on Saturday evening, sweeping the season series against the Broncos.
Santa Clara falls to 11-14 overall, 5-8 in the WCC while Portland moves to 14-10, 5-7 in the WCC. The Broncos return to action at 8 pm on Thurs., Feb. 12 when they play at USF in an ESPNU televised game.
Santa Clara shot 36.4 percent from the field (20 of 55), including 23.8 percent from beyond the arc (5 of 21). The Broncos added 64.3 percent from the foul line (9 of 14). They corralled 21 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals, 0 blocks and 8 turnovers.
Brandon Clark scored 18 and Jared Brownridge added 10. Emmanuel Ndumanya scored six points and led the team with five rebounds.
Portland shot 61.9 percent from the field (26 of 42), including 50.0 percent from beyond the arc (7 of 14). Seven of seven in the first half beyond the arc, the Pilots were 0-7 in the second half. The Pilots added 75.0 percent from the foul line (15 of 20). They collected 34 rebounds, 20 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks and 14 turnovers.
Kevin Bailey and Bryce Pressley scored 16 each and Thomas Van der Mars added 14 with 12 boards.
With Portland up 42-26 at halftime, Brownridge drew first blood in the second half for SCU. Philipp Hartwich's dunk at 17:03 gave the Pilots a 20-point lead at 17:03, 50-30. With Portland held scoreless for more than five minutes, Clark scored eight and Jarvis Pugh added a tip in to cut the lead to 10, 50-40, at 12:48.
Van der Mars and Bailey added baskets to bring Portland back to life. A three-point play by Hubbard and a corner triple by Brownridge cut the lead to nine, 55-46, at 9:01.
With the Broncos held scoreless for more than five minutes, Portland scored nine straight to make its lead 18 with 3:50 remaining, 64-46.
A jumper by Johnson at 3:37 stopped the run. Portland finished off the game with a 70-50 victory.
Pressley opened the game with a three at 19:40. Hubbard scored under the basket at 18:17 and 30 seconds later Van Der Mars did the same. In a little less than two minutes, a 9 -0 Portland run put the Pilots up 14-4 at 14:45.
A Kai Healey triple at 14:32 and an inside basket by Emmanuel Ndumanya at 13:38 stopped the run, bringing SCU within five, 14-9.
Portland took an 11-point lead, 22-11, at 11:59. An 8-2 Bronco run, including a Brownridge three, made it 24-19 Pilots. With the Broncos handcuffed without a basket during a 15-1 Portland run, a span of more than six minutes, the Pilots answered and built a 19-point lead at 2:09, 39-20.
Clark scored a pair of jumpers and Ndumanya added a dunk to cut the run, but Todd scored a buzzer beater three to make it 42-26 Portland at halftime. Shooting 75.0 percent in the first half, including 7 of 7 from beyond the arc, Portland had three players in double figures in the first half: Van der Mars (10), Bailey (12) and Pressley (13). Clark and Ndumanya each had six.
NOTES: Starters for the Broncos (career starts): Brandon Clark (62), Nate Kratch (18), Denzel Johnson (36), Jared Brownridge (58), Matt Hubbard (23).