SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Led by a game-high 22 points from Josip Vrankic, including the go-ahead bucket inside the final minute of overtime, Santa Clara men's basketball picked up a 78-74 victory over San Diego to improve to 2-2 in WCC play and 12-7 overall. The Broncos shot 53 percent from the floor for the night with a 59.3 percent clip in the second half to pick up the win inside the Leavey Center on Monday evening.
Vrankic, who has missed extended time this season due to illness, was back to his old form that saw him earn three first team All-WCC honors. The Toronto, Canada, product was 9-of-13 from the floor with seven rebounds and four assists. He scored six of Santa Clara's eight points in overtime, including the go-ahead score with just 41 seconds remaining to will the Broncos to victory.
.@josipvrankic putting the team on his back and giving us a lead!
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) January 25, 2022
He's up to a game-high 22 points with 7 rebounds#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/8i4FxTUlFR
Keshawn Justice also enjoyed a big shooting night, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds while PJ Pipes scored 13 of his own.
After trailing by just two at 34-32 at the halftime, Santa Clara used an efficient shooting half (16-of-27) to exhange blows down the stretch with the Toreros. The second half alone saw 15 lead changes with San Diego dealing the last blow on a layup with just 40 seconds on the clock to tie the game at 70.
San Diego (11-9, 4-3) quickly scored first in overtime to take a two-point lead, but Vrankic scored on the other end to tie it right back up. With 2:28 left, Marcellus Earlington knocked down a long jumper to give the lead back to the Toreros. Once again, Vrankic was the Broncos' answer as he willed his way to another layup for the tying score. After a strong defensive stand in front of the raucous Santa Clara Student Section, the Broncos looked Vrankic's way one last time as he scored the go-ahead bucket with less than a minute to play. Santa Clara made one last defensive stand in the waning moments, resulting in Pipes getting a lose ball and knocking down both free throws following the must-foul situation to end San Diego's hopes of a miracle.
Santa Clara finished the night with 17 assists against 12 turnovers. San Diego shot 44.1 percent from the field with four scorers finishing in double figures led by 13 from Terrell Brown and Joey Calcaterra.
NOTES
- PJ Pipes reached double figures for the fourth-straight game, all in league play.
- With 22 points, Josip Vrankic now has 20 career games with 20 or more points.
- Santa Clara extended their lead in the all-time series over San Diego to 52-39. The Broncos have taken four of the last five meetings dating back to Jan. 4, 2020.
POSTGAME VIDEO
.@HerbSendek shares his thoughts on tonight's 78-74 victory#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/kKOY62qRrl
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) January 25, 2022
.@JosipVrankic scores a game-high 22 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists as the Broncos take down San Diego in OT#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/gjxN6XkX2G
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) January 25, 2022
NEXT UP
- The Broncos will host BYU for an 8:00 p.m. tip inside the Leavey Center on Thursday, Jan. 27. The game will be a national broadcast on ESPNU.
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