SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Junior guard Brandon Brown scored a game-high 22 points and junior forward Adom Jacko tallied 12 to lead Loyola Marymount to a 76-66 victory against Santa Clara men's basketball in Saturday night West Coast Conference action.
The Lions (9-9, 2-5), who won their second straight after losing five in a row, were able to connect from long range and when they didn't, corralled most of the rebounds. They went 10-for-24 on 3-pointers and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, which led to a 21-3 edge in second chance points.
"We didn't do a good enough job rebounding the ball," Santa Clara head coach Kerry Keating said. "That was unfortunate for us because it was a great opportunity."
Jared Brownridge had a team-high 20 points, including 12 in the opening 5 minutes of the second half, for the Broncos (7-13, 3-5), who had won three of their last four games. Santa Clara made 5 of their first 7 field goals in the final period, but only 7 of 18 the rest of the way.
"Jared wasn't going early, but he came back and tried to gave us something," Keating said.
Senior guard David Humphries, who scored a career-high 20 points off the LMU bench in Thursday's victory at USF, tallied 14 points on 4 of 6 from the field, all from the behind the 3-point line.
Despite Brownridge scoring 12 of the team's first 14 points of the second half, the Broncos fell behind 47-35 with 4 minutes gone.
KJ Feagin (3 of 10 from the floor) didn't hit his first field goal until there was 12:15 remaining in the game. He nailed a long jumper and added a 3-pointer to make it 51-45 with 10:55 left, but the Lions scored nine of the next 10 points with Brown, who also had nine assists, as the catalyst. He got to the basket for a layup and then nailed a pair of jumpers.
The Broncos were never able to get the deficit into single digits the rest of the way.
Kai Healy scored a career-high 15, but he was the only other Santa Clara player in double figures beside Brownridge. Healy had seven of the team's first nine points in the game.
Nate Kratch, the team's second-leading scorer (11.2 ppg), was held to seven points and didn't connect on his first field goal until there was 7:02 left in the game.
Feagin dished out five assists and did not turn the ball over. The Broncos only committed seven turnovers in the game.
Jocko scored eight points in the first half when the Lions established a presence in the paint with the Broncos playing both zone and man-to-man.
"I'm just disappointed that someone didn't go in there and establish themselves at the defensive end," Keating said.
A 9-0 run allowed LMU to take a 24-19 lead with 6:10 left in the first half, but the Broncos answered with five straight points to tie it up. Healy hit a jumper and Brownridge nailed a 3-pointer, but those were the Broncos only baskets in the final 9 minutes of the first half.
Humphries nailed of a pair of 3-pointers to give the Lions a 30-24 lead with 3:20 left in the first half. He also had seven rebounds, one of four LMU players with six or more.
The Broncos close out their three-game homestand Thursday when San Francisco visits Leavey Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
"We've been responding off losses, now we'll get another chance," Keating said.
Notes: With 20 points, Jared Brownridge (1,463) moved from 15th to 14th on the school's career scoring list, passing Mike Stewart (1,446/1970-73) … Brownridge scored at least 20 points for the ninth time this season …with five assists, KJ Feagin (77) moved from 10th to tie for eighth on the school's freshman list. He passed Brownridge (76/2013-14) and equaled Steve Kenilvort (77/1982-83) … Kai Healy (career-high 15 points) scored in double figures for the fourth time this season, including third in the last six games … after scoring a career-high 10 points in Thursday's win vs. Pepperdine, Henrik Jadersten tallied nine on 3 of 5 field goals.
The LMU Series: The series began in 1937 with the Broncos now holding a 86-58 lead. Santa Clara has won four of the last six, but the Lions snapped a three-game losing streak.
