Feb. 2, 2008
PHOTO GALLERY
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Austin Daye scored 13 of his career-high 22 points in overtime, including the go-ahead basket, as Gonzaga survived Santa Clara's upset bid, escaping with a 87-82 victory on Saturday night.
Steven Gray, who scored 16, made a pair of free throws with 0.3 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Santa Clara's Andrew Zimmerman's short basket with three seconds left forced the second overtime.
Josh Heytvelt added 14 points for the Bulldogs (17-5, 6-0 West Coast Conference), who won their eighth in nine games. Jeremy Pargo had 13 points and seven assists.
Brody Angley scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Broncos (11-10, 3-3), who had won three of their previous four games. John Bryant scored 22 points and set a career-high with his 12-of-13 effort from the foul line. Jonathan Gunderson added 15 points.
Santa Clara was all set to celebrate its second straight regular-season upset over the Bulldogs after Bryant blocked a shot in the final four seconds to preserve a two-point lead.
All that remained was for the Broncos to inbound a pass and run out the clock. A long pass was tipped in the backcourt and Gray was fouled by Angley to set the tying foul shots.
Santa Clara ended Gonzaga's 50-game home winning streak last year and was looking to end the Bulldogs' 11-game win streak in Santa Clara.
Gonzaga fell out of the rankings after losing to Oklahoma last Dec. 20, and have won eight of 10 since. Gonzaga looks to pad its conference lead when the team travels to No. 21 St. Mary's on Monday night. It's the first of two games with the Gaels, which will likely determine the WCC regular-season champion.
Gonzaga entered the game with an RPI rating of 30, just behind No. 14 Stanford. The seven-time defending WCC champion Bulldogs have a strength of schedule rating of 33, helped by a tough nonconference slate that featured three top 10 teams, including top-ranked Memphis last Saturday.
The Broncos made 12 of their first 16 shots of the second half and held a 61-54 advantage going into the final four minutes.
The Bulldogs closed to within 63-61 when Austin Daye hit a 3-pointer with 1:32 left.
The Broncos worked the clock, grabbing a key offensive rebound, down to 19 seconds before freshman Ben Dowdell was fouled by Daye during a loose ball.
Dowdell missed both foul attempts. Matt Bouldin grabbed the rebound to set up the tying free throws.
Santa Clara outrebounded the Zags 16-8 in the first half, and that's with the WCC's leading rebounder (Bryant) held to one board.
The rebounding edge helped the Broncos stay with Gonzaga, as both teams struggled from the field over the final eight minutes of the half. The Bulldogs scored the game's first seven points, but Santa Clara recovered to take a 27-25 lead at halftime.
