Broncos Advance to WCC Semi-Finals for Second Time in Three Years with LMU Victory
WCC Highlights from the Entire Day (30 minutes after last game)
Las Vegas, Nev. – Behind Marc Trasolini's 22 points with Las Vegas native Evan Roquemore scoring a career-high 21, Santa Clara advanced to Zappos.com West Coast Conference Championship semi-final vs. Saint Mary's (23-7, 11-3 WCC) at 5 pm at ESPN2 by beating LMU for the third time this season, 76-68 on Saturday night.
Kevin Foster scored 18, passing Dennis Awtrey (619, 1968-69) as the single season points scored record holder. Foster has 621 points this season.
Santa Clara shot 43.6 percent from the field (24 of 55), including 38.5 percent from beyond the arc (5 of 13s). They collected 38 rebounds, six assists, six steals and one block. They shot 79.3 percent from the free throw line (23 of 29) with 13 turnovers. LMU shot 47.3 percent from the field (26 of 55), including 22.2 percent from beyond the arc (2 of 9). They collected 36 rebounds, three assists, four steals and two blocks. They shot 48.3 percent from the free throw line (14 of 29) with 11 turnovers.
Individually Santa Clara was led by Trasolini's 22 points (8 of 15 from the field) and Roquemore's 21 (9 of 10 from free throw line). Foster added 18 with three assists. Trasolini also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Troy Payne scored four rebounds and four points with two steals.
For the Lions, Anthony Ireland scored 24, but was two of six from the free throw line. Drew Viney scored 18 with 10 rebounds with a team-high four turnovers. Ashley Hamilton added nine rebounds. The Lions were playing without senior Vernon Teel was put off the team early this morning for a violation of team rules.
The Las Vegas native, Roquemore, drew first blood, scoring a jumper at 18:45. Hamilton followed with a bucket at 18:30. Foster scored his 111th three of the year at 17:39. Ireland sank a free throw at 17:15. The teams traded baskets with Trasolini scoring in the paint. Okonji tied it up with two free throws 7-7 at 15:50.
Roquemore's three made it 10-7 at 15:07. Viney's three-point play tied it up 10-10 at 14:49.
Ireland's shot in the paint gave the Lions their first lead at 14:10. Roquemore shot a long-range three at 13:16 to give the Broncos the lead again. Viney brought the lead back to the Lions with a bucket at 13:19.
Foster's five-foot jumper gave the Broncos the lead for the third time in 11:26. A pair of Viney free throws followed a Trasolini jumper off a nifty pass from Foster.
Davis scored for the Lions and then Trasolini made a three point play to put SCU up by two at 9:58. The Lions went on a 6-0 run to take a 24-20 lead at 8:04.
Harrison's five-foot jumper stopped the run at 7:13. Harrison hit two free throws between an LMU bucket, 26-24 Lions at 5:46. Roquemore's pair of three throws tied it up 26-26 at 4:33.
After a Lions bucket, Payne worked his way inside and scored a three-point play to give the Broncos the lead again at 3:59. Egbeyemi hit a free throw at 3:42 to tie it up 29-29.
In the first half Santa Clara shot 35.5 percent from the field (11 of 31), including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (3 of 9). They collected 17 rebounds, two assists, four steals and zero blocks. They shot 100.0 percent from the free throw line (7 of 7) with six turnovers. LMU shot 45.8 percent from the field (11 of 24), including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (1 of 3). They collected 18 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. They shot 66.7 percent from the free throw line (8 of 12) with six turnovers.
Individually Trasolini and Roquemore both scored 10 points. Payne led the Broncos with four rebounds and Foster scored two assists. The Lions were led by Viney's seven and Hamilton's six rebounds.
Viney scored at 19:40 to open the second half and give LMU the lead. Trasolini scored two baskets with an Ireland bucket between. Ireland scored again to give the Lions the lead at 17:50.
After Okonji missed two free throws, Viney drained one. Michael Santos' behind the back basket tied it up before a Lions basket.
SCU then went on a 9-0 run. Roquemore tied it up again 40-40 at 15:22. Trasolini was fouled on the offensive side by Hamilton, his second, and he hit both. Foster scored a bucket to put SCU up 44-40 at 12:50. Timeout LMU. Foster nailed a three at 11:20, 47-40 Broncos.
Ireland hit a free throw to snap the run at 10:54. Payne scored a free throw on Okonji, his fourth.
Diedrichs missed the front end of a set of free throws and Trasolini grabbed the rebound with Roquemore scoring it on the offensive end. Ireland went on a 6-2 run on his lonesome, but Foster scored a bucket at 8:00 to put the Broncos up 54-47.
Dowdell scored in the paint to make it 56-47 at 7:20. Ireland crushed a three and Dowdell fouled Hamilton under the basket to make it a four-point play when he hit one of two free throws, 56-51 Broncos.
Trasolini scored his third three-point play of the game and then Viney scored a bucket. Santos was fouled and he sank one, 60-63 at 5:54. Trasolini wrestled for the ball on the defensive side, jump ball – Santa Clara's possession. Foster crushed a three to make it 63-53 at 5:00.
Trasolini scored his 21st point of the night at 4:20 – 65-53 Broncos. After a three-point play by the Lions, Hamilton hit a pair of free throws to cut the Bronco lead to seven. Hamilton picked up his fourth foul by smacking Roquemore on the arm – he hit both. 67-60 Broncos at 2:37. Viney scored again to cut the lead to five.
After Dowdell fouled out when he was called for a charge, Ireland missed an open look and Foster grabbed the rebound and was fouled immediately at 1:14. He sank both, in turn breaking Dennis Awtrey's single season school record (619, 1968-69).