SANTA CLARA, Calif. - DJ Mitchell posted a career-high 25 points, including four free throws in the final 12 seconds, and Keshawn Justice scored 20 to help Santa Clara men's basketball hang on for a 73-68 win over Portland in Saturday's regular-season finale.
Santa Clara (19-12, 6-10 West Coast Conference), playing without starters Josip Vrankic and Trey Wertz for the second-straight game, used a 9-2 run to open the second half to turn a one-point halftime deficit into a lead the Broncos did not relinquish in snapping their six-game losing streak and winning for the 10th consecutive time in the series.
Portland (9-22, 1-15) got within 67-65 with 35 seconds left on two free throws by Quincy Ferebee, but Jalen Williams sank two for the Broncos before Mitchell made his four to send the Pilots to their 14th-straight loss.
Mitchell had 16 points in the second half when the Broncos led by as many as 10. He and Williams combined for Santa Clara's final 15 points with all but four coming at the free-throw line. They combined to shoot 13-for-15 from the line in the game.
Jacob Tryon paced the Pilots with 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds while Ferebee and JoJo Walker each scored 11.
Walker had eight assists and drew seven of Santa Clara's 18 fouls.
Tahj Eaddy followed up his 20-point performance in Thursday's loss to Saint Mary's by scoring 15, including 13 in the opening half when the Pilots shot a blistering 54 percent from the floor and led for the final 4 minutes.
Justice scored 10 of Santa Clara's first 15 points in the second half to help open up its biggest lead at 52-42 but the Broncos could not shake the pesky Pilots who shot 45 percent from the floor in the game, including 10-for-24 behind the 3-point line.
For the game, Santa Clara shot 17-for-23 from the free-throw line compared to 12 of 15 by Portland.
The teams will meet for the third time this season in next week's opening round of the WCC Tournament. The Broncos secured the seventh seed and the Pilots will be No. 10.
Santa Clara won 85-61 at Portland on Feb. 1
HIGHLIGHTS | Big slams from DJ Mitchell in the second half of today's victory over Portland!#TeamFirst #StampedeAhead #WCCHoops pic.twitter.com/JY37zgqNtp
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) February 29, 2020
NOTES
• Santa Clara leads 68-33 in a series that began in 1946. The Broncos have captured the last 10 meetings, which followed a three-game winning streak for Portland. Santa Clara has won five of the last six at home.
• Santa Clara (10) recorded double-digit steals for the fourth time this season led by a career-high tying three from Tahj Eaddy.
• Josip Vrankic (ankle) and Trey Wertz (concussion protocol) did not play for the second-straight contest. Those are the only two games missed by Wertz in his career. He played in the first 60 games. Vrankic missed just the third game of his career. Both players were injured in last Saturday's Pacific contest.
• Guglielmo Caruso (right lower leg) played for just the fourth time in the last 16 games. He played for the first time since December against San Francisco (Feb. 13). He saw action for seven minutes off the bench against Portland and 24 minutes total in his previous three appearances.
In the postgame interview presented by @ROATweets, head coach @HerbSendek discusses the victory over @pilothoops.#TeamFirst | #StampedeAhead | #WCCHoops pic.twitter.com/hcBP0EujUL
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) March 1, 2020
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The Broncos will play in the first round of the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas on Thursday.
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