SANTA CLARA, Calif. - For the second-straight game, Santa Clara men's basketball used a big second half to erase a halftime deficit. This time it was to the tune of a sensational 76.5 percent scoring clip on 13-of-17 shooting as the Broncos won a back-and-forth affair that came down to the final possession against LMU. SCU won 71-69 to improve to 19-8 and 7-5 in WCC play.
Brandin Podziemski started hot, cooled down for a bit, then lit up the scoreboard once again in the second half to finish with 30 points - his fourth 30-point game of the season. The sophomore was 9-for-13 from the floor, 4-for-5 from 3-point range and 8-for-10 at the charity stripe as part of the scoring onslaught. He also finished with five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.
Freshman Christoph Tilly, who entered the game on a hot streak at an average of 7.0 ppg in the last five games, had another great night off the bench. The Berlin, Germany native finished 4-for-6 from the field and 5-of-5 in free throw shooting for a career-high 13 points to go with four rebounds and two assists. Sophomore foward Camaron Tongue also had a big game off the bench with a career-high point total of his own with nine points.
The game started with a Bronco Flavor as Podziemski scored 12 quick points to give SCU a 15-2 advantage with less than 13 minutes in the half. That lead didn't last long as LMU used a 12-0 run of their own to cut it down to one score. The Lions soon took the lead outright and maintained it for the remainder of the half after closing on a 10-2 run that including a buzzer-beating triple right before the half to make it 37-30.
But just as they did in their last outing against San Diego, the resilent Broncos came out of the break rejuvenated and quickly erased the deficit before the first media timeout could take place. Santa Clara grabbed the lead after Podziemski was fouled on a 3-point attempt and knocked down all three freebies. That was the first of 11 second-half lead changes culminating in a 6-0 run from the Broncos behind a conventional 3 from Tilly and a deep trey from Podziemski to make it 68-63 with 4:26 to play.
The Lions (17-10, 7-6) made one last run inside the final 1:30 with a four-point swing cutting it down to a one-point game at 70-69. Podziemski drew a foul on the other end and hit one of two at the stripe for the two-point advantage. LMU got two more shots off inside the final six seconds, but neither found its mark as the Broncos escaped with the victory.
Podziemski scored 17 of his 30 points in the second half while Tilly and Keshawn Justice each scored seven in the half to help power the Broncos to the victory.
Santa Clara shot 51.1 percent for the night (23-of-45) and saw a massive improvement at the free thow line with a 20-for-24 performance. The Bronco defense locked down around the perimeter, allowing just 24.1 percent on LMU 3-point attempts, including a 2-for-16 mark in the second half.
LMU shot 37.1 percent and outrebounded the Broncos 39-23. That includes 16 offensive boards that led to 22 second chance points. Cam Shelton, who ranked second in the league at 19.8 points per game heading into the contest, had a career-best night with 36 points on 14-of-25 shooting. Keli Leaupepe pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds to go with 11 points for a double-double.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
Coach Sendek broke down the Broncos' nail-bitting victory with @PassarelliVoice #StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/aL8QdOxRNC
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) February 12, 2023
Podz tallied his fourth 30-point game on the season and also joined @PassarelliVoice on the postgame show#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/qBhxC6ooZB
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) February 12, 2023
GAME NOTES
- Keshawn Justice made his 138th career appearance, breaking a four-way tie at the top to become Santa Clara's all-time leader for career games played.
- The win was SCU's third-straight over LMU.
