SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – In spite of 21 points scored by Brandon Clark, San Francisco needed overtime to defeat Santa Clara 69-62 on Thursday night in San Francisco.
Santa Clara falls to 11-15 overall, 5-9 in the WCC while USF is 10-16 and 4-10 in the WCC.
Santa Clara shot 42.4 percent from the field (25 of 59), including 22.7 percent from beyond the arc (5 of 22). The Broncos added 77.8 percent from the foul line (7 of 9). They collected 34 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals, no blocks and nine turnovers.
Clark scored 21 points with eight assists. Jared Brownridge added 14 points, but was 2 of 10 from beyond the arc. Emmanuel Ndumanya had eight rebounds and Jarvis Pugh added seven.
USF shot 37.5 percent from the field (21 of 56), including 15.8 percent from beyond the arc (3 of 19). The Dons added 77.4 percent from the foul line (24 of 31). They collected 41 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, four blocks and eight turnovers.
The Dons had four players in double figures: Tim Derksen (18), Devin Watson (13), Kruize Pinkins (12) and Matt Christiansen (10). Matt Glover had 10 boards as did Pinkins.
Tollefsen had his chance with 1.4 seconds left in regulation but his shot was short and the ball rolled around as time expired and the team's headed to overtime tied 58-58.
USF started the overtime with a 5-2 run, only Jalen Richard scored inside at 4:22. Clark's shot was blocked by Tollefsen at 2:02 and Pugh fouled out on the ensuing USF possession with Tim Derksen making both free throws at 1:58 to put USF up 63-60.
Pinkins made a pair of free throws at 1:31 and Clark scored with 41 seconds left to cut the lead to three. The Dons made their free throws to end the game and won 69-62.
The Broncos took a six-point lead into the second half (24-18). The Dons stared by scoring five straight free throws in the first couple of minutes to pull within one, 24-23 SCU, at 18:05. Clark made the Broncos first basket at 17:44, but Watson scored 20 seconds later and Chris Adams hit the Dons first three of the night to give the Dons their first lead, 28-26, at 16:51. Brownridge and Christiansen traded layups to keep USF up by two.
A three by Clark and a lay-in by Jarvis Pugh made the lead six again at 11:50. After a basket each by Matt Hubbard and Pugh, Brownridge laid one in and the Broncos led by nine, 46-37, at 8:46. An 8-3 run by USF, which included a three by Brownridge, cut the lead to four at 6:42.
A tough shot inside by Brownridge made it a six point Bronco lead again at 6:39. Clark's basket 5:21 was outshined by Derksen's three from the corner at 5:04. Clark crushed a triple from the top of the key at 4:43 to match him. An 8-0 run by USF gave the Dons a 58-56 lead with 1:21 left. Clark scored his 19th point of the night inside to tie it up with 55 seconds left, 58-58.
Nate Kratch opened the game with a pair of free throws and a jumper sandwiched between a Clark three as SCU led 7-2 at 17:18. Glover scored at 17:37 and then Tollefsen scored back-to-back baskets four minutes later to tie it up 7-7 at 13:12.
Clark's floater and Hubbard's lay-in put the Broncos up 11-7 at 9:50. The Dons scored two buckets in a row on Bronco turnovers to tie it up 11-11 at 8:41.
Brownridge hit his first three at 8:35 and Healy laid it in less than 30 seconds later to put SCU up 16-11. After the Dons scored at 7:54, a dandy pass by Clark to Emmanuel Ndumanya and a tip in by Jarvis Pugh made it 20-13 Broncos at 4:35.
After Clark's free throws put SCU up by eight, 22-14, USF scored its first basket in more than six minutes, a jumper by Christiansen, at 1:34. The Broncos led 24-18 at the half with Clark scoring seven with five assists and Pugh collecting five boards. Three Dons players added four each.
NOTES: Starters for the Broncos (career starts): Brandon Clark (63), Nate Kratch (19), Denzel Johnson (37), Jared Brownridge (59) and Matt Hubbard (24).
