SANTA CLARA, Calif. - After splitting a pair of home games, Santa Clara men's basketball travels to face San Diego on Saturday.
Tipoff between the Broncos and Toreros is set for 3 p.m. in Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Santa Clara (16-5, 3-3 West Coast Conference) saw its 17-game home-winning streak come to an end in Thursday's 90-86 overtime loss to Pepperdine. Colbey Ross scored the final seven points for the Waves who won in Leavey Center for the first time in six years. Josip Vrankic had a career-high 33 points for the Broncos who are playing at San Diego (8-13, 1-5) for the first time in two years.
The Toreros, who are 5-4 at home on the season, won at Portland, 77-67, on Saturday to snap a four-game skid.
QUICK HITS...
• With Saturday's win over Pacific, Santa Clara matched its win total from last season. The 16-4 start was the best since 1994-95 when the mark was the same. The 14-2 opening to the season was the best since beginninng a school-record 21-0 in 1968-69 on the way to a 27-2 mark and a trip to the NCAAs. The Broncos won at least 14 of 16 to begin a season for only fourth time in school history: 14-2 in 1930-31 and 15-1 in 1946-47.
• Seven players are averaging at least 7.0 points, including four in double digits led by Trey Wertz (13.0 ppg), Josip Vrankic (11.7), Guglielmo Caruso (11.6) and DJ Mitchell (10.5). Keshawn Justice is averaging 9.0 points, Tahj Eaddy 8.0 and Jalen Williams 7.1. Caruso, who has been out of the lineup, is the top rebounder at 5.5 per game. Mitchell is second at 5.3 and Vrankic third at 5.0. Wertz is averaging a team-high 3.78 assists per game and Vrankic is second at 3.3.
• Santa Clara had won 17 straight home games, dating to last season, until the loss to Pepperdine. That streak ranks third longest in school history and first all-time during the Toso Pavilion/Leavey Center era (since 1975-76). The mark was also the fifth-longest active streak in the NCAA until that blemish. The streak began following a 66-55 loss to Saint Mary's (Feb. 14, 2019).
GAMEDAY INFORMATION |
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| TV | None |
| Video | WCC Network |
| Radio/Audio | KDOW-AM 1220 | Tunein |
| Live Stats | Sidearmstats |
| Game Notes | Santa Clara | San Diego |
YEAR FOUR UNDER SENDEK...
The Broncos are heading into the their 113th year, including fourth under Herb Sendek, who has been successful in each of his three previous head-coaching stops. With a resume that includes 18 postseason appearances and three conference coach of the year awards, Sendek, was one of the three youngest coaches with 400 or more career victories. Having led the Broncos to winning records in two of his three seasons, he is in his 26th season as a collegiate head coach with stops at Arizona State, North Carolina State and Miami (Ohio).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES...
• Injuries are starting to take a toll and Guglielmo Caruso is the newest addition with a lower right leg injury. He was injured against Alcorn State (Dec. 29) and ruled out indefinitely. Ezekiel Richards (ankle), who played in seven games as a reserve, and Miguel Tomley (knee), who has not seen action, have been ruled out for the season.
• Over the last four games, Josip Vrankic is averaging 20.8 points on 56.5 percent (26 of 46) shooting from the field and 5.8 rebounds. He's also attempted 35 of the team's 84 free throws in that span, connecting on 27 (77.1 percent).
• Over the last seven contests, Trey Wertz is averaging 16.5 points on 60.5 percent (49 of 81) shooting from the floor, including 57.1 percent (20-for-35) behind the 3-point line in that span.
THE SAN DIEGO SERIES...
In a series that began in 1953, Santa Clara leads, 48-38, with wins in nine of the last 14 meetings. The Broncos have won four of the last six at San Diego. The Broncos won 68-56 in last year's conference opener (Jan. 3) and then fell to the Toreros, 62-45, but the previous five meetings were decided by a total of 21 points.
BY THE NUMBER...
0...Number of seniors on the roster
1...Santa Clara is blocking 4.0 shots per game which is first in the league.
2...Santa Clara ranks second in the WCC in field-goal percentage defense (41.1).
3...Santa Clara ranks third in the WCC in assists at 16.1 per game.
4...Number of returning starters - Tahj Eaddy, Trey Wertz, Josip Vrankic and Guglielmo Caruso
9...Number of underclassmen (four sophomores and five freshmen) scholarship players on the roster.
9...The Broncos have connected on at least 50 percent from the field in nine games this season. They did it seven times all last season.
17...Josip Vrankic needs 17 more points to become the 35th player in school history to reach 1,000 in his career.
21...Santa Clara made its final 21 free throws, including six in the last 21 seconds, to hang on to defeat Pacific, 84-80 (Jan. 18).
54...Josip Vrankic's 54 straight starts lead the team.
70....The Broncos were 10-3 last season when scoring at least 70 points. They are 14-1 this year.
RADIO/LIVE STREAM
Anthony Passarelli (play-by-play) and John Stege (analyst) call the action during the season on radio and through WCC Network at home. All Broncos home games and West Coast Conference contests (not on an ESPN platform, CBS Sports Network or BYUtv) will also be streamed through WCC Network (local blackout restrictions apply for games broadcast over the air). As in the past two seasons, nearly all games can also be heard on either KDOW-AM 1220 or KTRB-AM 860. In addition, any of this year's games can also be heard on the Tunein app. Saturday's game can be heard on KDOW-AM 1220 or through Tunein. Click here for the complete list of 2019-20 radio broadcast outlets.
TICKETS
There are a number of ticket options for 2019-20, which has five home games remaining. Single-game and game-plan packages are on sale. For questions, contact the Santa Clara Athletics ticket office at (408) 554-4660 or BroncoTickets@scu.edu. The ticket office and doors to Leavey Center open one hour prior to tipoff.
FAN EXPERIENCE PACKAGES
Group-ticket options and Fan Experience Packages are available through the Santa Clara ticket office, which is open weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Contact Jesse Moreno, the team leader of sales and service, at (408) 554-4628 or jpmoreno@scu.edu for further details.
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