Basketball Downs Northern Colorado, Play Arizona in Las Vegas Friday
With Evan Roquemore and Raymond Cowels III scoring double-figures off the bench and Kevin Foster hitting 19 points, Santa Clara held off a late rally from Northern Colorado in the Leavey Center to win Tuesday night, 87-84. Roquemore hit 10 of 10 free throws to score a career-high 18 points and Foster has now scored 19+ points 19 games during his Bronco career.
Santa Clara is 4-1 and UNC falls to 2-2. Santa Clara's 7 pm game vs. Arizona, 4-0, on Fri., Nov. 26 in Las Vegas will be shown live on Comcast SportsNet Plus. Check local listings. In addition, all games of the 10th annual IBN Sports Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 will be available to fans around the country. IBN Sports, the title sponsor for the Las Vegas Invitational, will be broadcasting live at http://www.ibnsports.com/lvi.aspx The only game IBN Sports will not broadcast on their network will be Kansas vs Arizona on Saturday, which will be televised nationally on ESPN 2.
"We made it harder on our ourselves after doing a good job building up a lead. I think we got a little complacent," said Bronco head coach Kerry Keating, who is 10-1 when the Broncos score 80+ in his career. "We are working to mature and understand the game isn't over until the end. Northern Colorado is a good team with a number of fifth-year seniors. They weren't going to get rattled and they have a four that can score as well. They did a good job in the second half. We need to continue to talk and talk more on the court. We gave us too many offensive rebounds in the first half and need to continue to play smart the entire game."
Santa Clara shot 49.1 percent (26 of 53), including 55.0 percent from beyond the arc (11 of 20). The Broncos collected 33 rebounds,15 assists, eight steals and zero blocks. They shot 70.6 percent from the free throw line, making 24 of 34 free throws. Northern Colorado shot 50.0 percent (28 of 56), including 38.5 percent from beyond the arc (10 of 26). The Bears collected 30 rebounds, 15 assists, eight steals and zero blocks. They shot 78.3 percent from the free throw line, making 18 of 23 free throws. Santa Clara had 17 turnovers and 16 turnovers.
Santa Clara was led by Foster's 19 points, including tying a career-high with seven assists, four threes and five for five from the free throw line. Roquemore had a career-high 18 points (10 of 10 from free throw line) and Cowels hit a season-best 18, including a season-high four three pointers (one off his career high). Ben Dowdell scored eight points with seven boards. A trio of Broncos scored seven each: Marc Trasolini, Robert Smith and Chris Cunningham.
"I am really proud of the effort of Chris Cunningham. Chris gave us some quality minutes tonight when Marc wasn't feeling it tonight," said Keating. "Ray has also worked really hard after a tough start to his season offensively. He has come in the gym extra with classes out and worked hard."
The Bears were led by Neal Kingman's 21 points. Devon Beitzel added 20. Emmanuel Addo and Chris Kaba scored 12 each. Kingman and Addo both led the UNC effort on the boards with six each.
In the first half Dowdell hit a two-pointer and Smith knocked down a three at 17:39 to give the Broncos a 5-2 lead. After a UNC basket, Foster knocked down a three at 15:55. The Bears tied it up with a pair of free throws and a basket at 18:31. Kaba hit a three at 13:59 to give the Bears an 11-8 lead. Roquemore responded with a three to tie it up at 13:25, but UNC hit another three to take the lead again.
The Bears were in the midst of an 10-3 run when Cowels knocked down a five-foot jumper at 12:45. Cowels followed that with another three at 11:59 and again, UNC answered with a three. Cowels shook off that three to hit another three at 11:32. A basket by Addo and it was tied 19-19 at 11:13.
Roquemore knocked down a two-foot jumper and Trasolini scored a layup on a dandy pass from Foster to make it 23-19 Broncos at 9:23. Addo then scored five straight to give the Bears a 24-23 lead.
Out of the timeout, Addo scored his ninth straight point for the Bears. Kingman snapped Addo's streak with a free throw. Roquemore hit a three at 3:32 and then Cowels hit his third three of the half. Roquemore hit two a pair of throws and Kingman hit a three and Smith popped the ball back in a Bronco miss to put the Broncos up by 10. Cowels was fouled and hit a pair of free throws to put SCU up by 12, 46-34. With time winding down Kingman knocked down a three, sending the teams to the lockerroom, with SCU up 46-37.
SCU shot 51.6 percent (16 of 31) in the first half, including 60.0 percent from the arc (9 of 15). Santa Clara was five of six from the free throw line and collected 20 rebounds with 11 turnovers. Cowels scored 13, Roquemore 10 and Foster nine. UNC shot 44.8 percent (13 of 29), including 35.7 percent from the arc (5 of 14). The Bears hit six of nine free throws and collected 14 rebounds with eight turnovers. Addo led the Bears with 10 points.
In the second half, Smith scored with six ticks off the clock. After a UNC three, Trasolini answered with a layup and Foster scored his fourth three of the night. Trasolini hit the free throw line at 16:44 and made one and missed the second. Cunningham grabbed the ball and hit a bucket to put the Broncos up 58-42, the largest lead of the night.
Cowels scored his 18th point of the night on a put-back on a miss by Niyi Harrison. Beitzel scored a jumper and then he hit a pair of free throws to pull the Bears within eight at 9:12. Foster hit both free throws at 9:03 to make the lead 10 again, 71-61.
Dowdell scored a bucket and took a charge on the Bears next possession. After the Bears scored back-to-back baskets to pull within six, 73-67 at 6:17, Keating whistled for time. Beitzel scored on a break-away and then Dowdell dunked it to make it 77-69 at 4:23.
The Bears scored three straight baskets, including a three, to pull within one at 2:13. Roquemore hit a pair of free throws twice (1:41, 1:13) to put SCU up 81-76. The Bears whistled for time and scored on their next possession. Michael Santos was fouled with 29.7 left and scored one to put the Broncos up 82-78.
After Proctor hit a lay-up, Santos was fouled on the inbounds and made one, 83-80 Broncos at 14.1 Dowdell fouled Proctor on the miss and he sank one, but missed the second. SCU grabbed the rebound. Roquemore was fouled with 12.8 and he scored both to put the Broncos up 85-81.
The Bears missed a desperation bucket and Roquemore hit two more free throws. He was 10 of 10 from the free throw line. The Bears knocked down a three as time expired and the Broncos won 87-84