Nov. 25, 2009
Northern Arizona defeated Santa Clara 88-72 in each team's third game of the West Coast Classic and the two school's second-ever meeting. SCU is 2-3 and NAU is 2-2. Santa Clara hosts Fresno State at 2 pm on Sat., Nov. 28 in its final game of the West Coast Classic.
SCU shot 46.7 percent, including 25 percent beyond the arc. SCU had 26 rebounds, three blocks and six steals with 21 turnovers. NAU shot 52.7 percent, including 41.2 percent beyond the arc. NAU had 38 rebounds, three blocks and 10 steals with 17 turnovers.
Individually for Santa Clara, Kevin Foster had 14 points but was 2-11 from three point range. Robert Smith had 13 points and a career high five assists. Marc Trasolini added 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Troy Payne had eight points and eighth rebounds with four assists. DeAngelo Jones led the Lumberjacks with 28 points, including 7-9 from the free-throw line. NAU had three other scorers score 14 points each.
In the first half the Broncos held a slim lead over Northern Arizona, and the Broncos lead was extended to four on a Robert Smith three with 16:22 left. However, the Lumberjacks responded with a 7-2 run and took a 22-19 lead after a lay up by Cameron Jones with 11:18 remaining.
Northern Arizona used another 8-2 run late in the first half and extended the lead to eight points after a basket by Cameron Jones with 3:40 left. The Lumberjacks held on to the eight point lead at halftime, 44-36.
The story of the first half for the Lumberjacks was the play of Cameron and DeAngelo Jones. Cameron Jones paced Northern Arizona with 14 points and DeAngelo Jones had 12. For Santa Clara the first half was muddled with turnovers; the Broncos had 16 in the first 20 minutes and NAU collected eight steals. In the first half the Broncos were led offensively by Marc Trasolini and Troy Payne who had six points each.
Northern Arizona opened the second half on a 12-6 run and extended their lead to 15 with 15:40 remaining in the second. DeAngelo Jones scored five of the Lumberjacks points during that run.
After securing two offensive rebounds during a possession Josh Lepley finished a lay up with 14:02, to push the lead to 21 points. Chris Cunningham's layup with 13:03 ended a 14-1 run by the Lumberjacks.
Marc Trasolini's dunk with 11:00 cut the Lumberjacks lead to 15, but DeAngelo Jones nailed a three on the next possession to push the Broncos back.
Kevin Foster trimmed Northern Arizona's lead down to 12 with 7:00, but after a missed free throw by Robert Smith, Eric Platt nailed a three to extend the lead to 76-61.
This was only the second all-time meeting between both teams. Santa Clara won the first game 72-61, in the Cable Car Classic on Dec. 27, 1985.
