Robert Smith scored 21 points and two other Broncos had double-doubles in Loyola Marymount's 73-67 victory over the Broncos. Santa Clara falls to 10-17, 2-8 in the WCC and LMU is 13-12, 4-5 in the WCC.
Marc Trasolini scored his third double-double of the season, and the fourth of his career and Troy Payne captured his first career double-double.
"We weren't playing hard enough in the first half as a team," said Bronco Head Coach Kerry Keating. "A few guys were playing hard but as a unit not everyone showed up to play. That happens with a young team but we need to have better leadership on the floor."
"In the second half we played harder and with more of a purpose but it was not enough. We have to understand that each possession counts and that we can't waste any possessions during the course of a game," added Keating.
Smith finished with 21 points for the Broncos, making a career-high five three-pointers. Trasolini finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Payne finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Drew Viney led the Lions with 20 points and six rebounds. Jarred Dubois, Vernon Teel and Kevin Young finished with 14 points each for the Lions.
Santa Clara shot 35.5 percent from the field, including 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. The Broncos collected 42 rebounds, five steals and four blocks with 15 turnovers. LMU shot 44.6 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Lions collected 37 rebounds, 12 steals, five blocks with 12 turnovers.
Dubois opened the contest with a bucket at 19:36 to put the Lions in front, but Ben Dowdell responded with a layup off a pass inside by Trasolini at 19:00. Young hit a three for the Lions at 18:36 to put LMU in front 5-2.
Santa Clara did not make another field goal until 13:50, after a bucket by Niyi Harrison. During that time period the Lions pushed their lead to 17-6. Trasolini hit a basket on the next possession at 13:14, and Harrison hit two free throws at 12:38 to cut the Lion's lead to 17-10.
Young and Dubois hit back-to-back threes for the Lions at 11:51 and 11:10 to put the Lions in the lead 25-10. Payne's basket at 9:26 cut the score to 26-12. Harrison's layup at 7:13 cut the Lion's lead to 31-15. Smith nailed a three for the Broncos at 5:58, but LMU held a 33-19 lead.
Smith knocked down another three for the Broncos at 4:20, but the Lions held on to a 37-22 lead. The Lions took a 43-27 lead into the half.
Young's bucket at 19:33 put the Lions in front 45-27, but Smith hit a jumper for the Broncos at 19:21. Smith knocked down another basket at 16:35 to cut the Lion's lead to 49-33.
Smith hit another three for the Broncos at 13:11, and Trasolini's layup at 11:50 cut the Lion's lead to 62-40. Trasolini hit a bucket at 11:15 and Payne made layups at 10:52 and to cut the Lion's lead to 62-46.
Philip Bach's scored baskets on back-to-back possessions at 8:50 and 8:12. Trasolini nailed a three at 7:30 to put the Broncos even closer; the Lions lead was down to 11.
Payne hit a free throw at 6:04 to cut the Lion's lead to 65-57. Viney's hit a jumper at 3:31 to put the Lions in front 69-58. Smith responded with his fourth three of the night at 2:52 and Lion's lead was cut to eight.
Smith nailed another three pointer and trimmed the Lion's lead to four points, 70-66. The four point lead by the Lions was their smallest since the first half, with 17:34 remaining, when the score was 7-4. Dubois hit a free throw with 44 seconds left to push the Lion's lead to 73-66.
