GCI Great Alaska Shootout Central | 2017-18 Basketball Tickets
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Chris Galbreath Jr. scored 17 points and John Dewey III added 13 for Sam Houston State, which built a big lead behind a balanced offensive attack and then held off a late rally for a 73-59 victory over Santa Clara men's basketball on Saturday, the final day of the last-ever GCI Great Alaska Shootout.
Galbreath Jr. also had game highs of nine rebounds and six assists for the Bearkats (3-3) who shot 52 percent from the floor, including 9-for-20 from behind the 3-point line led by Dewey III's 3-for-4 effort, in the seventh-place matchup of the eight-team, four-day tournament, which ends this season.
KJ Feagin scored a game- and season-high 24 points, including 16 in the second half when the Broncos (1-5) cut a 20-point deficit to 14 three times and then 10.
Seven Sam Houston State players scored between five and seven points. Jamal Williams tallied six points and five assists. He also registered nine rebounds to match Galbreath Jr. for game-high honors.
A layup by Williams increased the lead to 43-23 with 16 minutes left in the game, but Feagin sparked a 6-0 run with a pair of buckets.
Galbreath Jr. help stymie the Santa Clara momentum pushing the lead back to 20 five minutes later with a 3-point play.
Feagin again cut the deficit to 56-42 with a 3-pointer with less than eight minutes left, but the Broncos were never got enough stops to cut the lead into single digits.
Josip Vrankic, who had a career-high 16 points for the second-straight game, chopped the lead to 69-59 on a layup, but there was only 46 seconds remaining.
Santa Clara struggled shooting from the floor, especially in the opening half when Sam Houston State used a 7-0 run to build a 26-13 lead.
The Broncos shot 39 percent from the floor, including 26 percent in the first 20 minutes, and were out-rebounded 33-26.
Sam Houston State made the extra pass to find open shooters throughout the game, recording 21 assists on 27 field goals.
NOTES
• The Broncos made their third appearance in the GCI Great Alaska Shootout, which is in its 40th, and final, year of existence.
• This was the first-ever meeting between Santa Clara and Sam Houston State, which plays in the Southland Conference.
• Matt Hauser, KJ Feagin, Emmanuel Ndumanya, Henry Caruso and Josip Vrankic started for the third-straight contest.
NEXT UP
The Broncos begin a three-game homestand on Thursday when Northern Arizona visits Leavey Center.
Connect with the Broncos on Social Media
• Athletics: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Snapchat
• Men's Basketball: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Snapchat
