Broncos Edged by Washington State in Overtime Thriller
On a rainy night in Santa Clara, Santa Clara is 6-6 and Washington State is 8-1. Santa Clara travels to Los Angeles for a 7 pm meeting with CSU Northridge on Wed., Dec. 22 before departing on Christmas break.
"We were 33 of 36 from the free throw line and it's always the one that counts that stands out," said Bronco head coach Kerry Keating. "I don't want Marc to focus on the missed free throw (in the end of the second half), but the play he made to get to the free throw line. We are working hard to get him back playing well and he made a big step tonight."
"We gave ourselves a chance tonight playing our fourth game in nine days with no live practice yesterday. I was proud of our effort and we really worked hard. In the first half we took good shots, but we didn't have anyone demanding the ball inside. We need to continue to establish a low post presence."
Santa Clara shot 42.6 percent from the field (26 of 61), including 29.4 percent from beyond the arc (10 of 31). Santa Clara collected 42 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals and six blocks. Santa Clara had 17 turnovers and was 33 of 36 from the free throw line. Washington State shot 42.6 percent (26 of 61) from the field, including 29.4 percent from beyond the arc (5 of 17). The Cougars collected 41 rebounds, 15 assists, seven steals and six blocks. WSU had 14 turnovers and was 75.7 from the free throw line (28 of 37, including 20 of 27 in the second half and 7 of 7 in overtime).
Santa Clara's 33 free throws made were the most since it made 35 vs. Portland on Jan. 7, 2006. The 36 free throws attempted were the most since it attempted 36 at Portland on March 1, 2008.
Individually for Santa Clara was led by Kevin Foster who scored 29 points, including 11 of 13 from the free throw line. Marc Trasolini scored 18 and Evan Roquemore scored 16 points. Raymond Cowels III led the team with eight rebounds and Ben Dowdell led the team with four assists.
Washington State put four players in double figures with Klay Thompson scoring 23, including 10 of 12 from the free throw line. DeAngelo Casto and Abe Lodwick both scored 15 each with Casto grabbing a team-leading 10 rebounds.
In the first half, Washington State went up 5-0 before Thompson picked up his second foul at 17:01 and Cowels knocked down two free throws to make it 5-2. Between two Cougar baskets, Roquemore knocked down a three.
Trasolini scored on two straight beyond the arc at to put SCU up 11-9 at 13:28. WSU tied it up at 12:58 and Foster got the lead back with a bucket on pass from Troy Payne.
Marcus Capers dunked the ball and was fouled, hitting a free throw to put WSU up 14-13 at 10:47. After the teams traded possessions Thompson dunked to put WSU up 18-13 at 9:35.
Foster's three brought the Broncos within two. Thompson turned the ball over and Foster was fouled and hit both to tie it up 18-18 at 8:13. DeAngelo Casto scored on the Cougars third straight dunk but Dowdell answered with a nifty move of his. The teams traded baskets with Foster connecting on a floater, 22-22, 6:59.
Cunningham hit both two free throws on Casto's second foul at 6:08. Thompson tied it up at 5:46. Foster was fouled as time wound down by Abe Ludwick and hit the pair, 26-24 at 4:31. Thompson scored a three and Trasolini flew in under the basket to take the lead back 28-27 Broncos at 2:50. After Casto picked up his third foul, Roquemore sank both, 30-27 SCU at 2:33.
Foster crushed a three to put SCU and then Dowdell sank both free throws to put SCU up 35-27 at :35.7. Brock Motum scored under the basket at the buzzer to make it 35-29 at halftime.
In the first half, Santa Clara shot 31.0 percent from the field (9 of 29), including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (5 of 15). Santa Clara collected 20 rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocks. Santa Clara had five turnovers and was 12 of 12 from the free throw line. In the first half, Washington State shot 48.1 percent from the field (13 of 27), including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (2 of 6). The Cougars collected 16 rebounds, eight assists, one steal and three blocks. WSU nine turnovers and was 1 of 3 from the free throw line.
For Santa Clara Foster had 14 points, including 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Trasolini added eight and Cowels had seven rebounds. Thompson had seven points for the Cougars and Capers collected a team-high four rebounds.
In the second half Roquemore's three at 18:37 put SCU up 38-32. WSU went on an 8-2 run, tying it up 40-40 when Keating called timeout at 16:21. Trasolini scored on a nifty pass from Payne then hit his third three of the game, tying a season-high. Cowels was fouled and after the media timeout he hit both to put SCU up 47-40 at 14:27.
After WSU went on a 5-0 run, Keating signaled timeout. Casto picked up his fourth foul when he flew into Roquemore attempting a three and the freshman sank all three, 50-45 at 12:07. Roquemore rebounded a Thompson miss and Cowels scored an easy basket inside to put SCU up 52-45 at 11:22.
The Cougars missed three straight free throws before Dowdell dunked it. Cowels and Trasolini hit back-to-back pairs of free throws to put SCU up by 10 at 9:50.
The Cougars went on an 11-0 run, including nine free throws, to take a 61-60 lead at 5:32 before Foster crushed a three at 5:18 to pull SCU ahead 63-61.
The teams traded pairs of free throws and then Foster hit a pair to put SCU up 67-64 at 2:13.
Reggie Moore kicked in a three to tie it and then Foster sank a bucket at :49.0 to put SCU up 69-67. Dowdell fouled out with a body on Casto, and he missed the first and sank the second. Timeout Washington State.
Foster was fouled by Lodwick when catching the inbounds pass. He hit the first to put SCU up 70-68. Thompson's three was short, Trasolini rebounded it and was fouled by Lodwick at :22.8, his fifth. Trasolini sank one and missed the second. Thompson hit a three, tying it 71-71 at :17. Foster's shot rimmed out and the teams were headed to overtime.
Casto scored on a three-point play to put WSU up 74-71 and Foster answered with a three to tie it up 74-74 at 3:40. It was Foster's 27th point, a season-high. Casto scored on a put-back to give the Cougars a 76-74 advantage at 2:32. After a WSU timeout, Thompson hit a three. Roquemore quickly answered with one of his own. WSU hit four straight free throws to pull ahead 83-77.
Thompson fouled Foster shooting a three and he sank two at :13.3, 83-79 WSU. Thompson finished the game with two more free throws, 85-79.