SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Jalen Williams scored 14 points, including a pair of late clutch free throws, to lead a balanced scoring effort by Santa Clara men's basketball, which held off UC Davis for a 66-63 win in a seesaw affair on Friday in day two action at the Bronco Invitational.

With Santa Clara ahead 64-63 and 1.6 seconds left in the game, Williams sank a pair of free throws before Ezra Manjor's desperation heave just inside half court fell short for the Aggies.

Inside the final 20 seconds of the game, the Broncos (2-0) had opportunities to add to its one-point lead but missed four straight free throws in the double bonus. But UC Davis (0-2) was unable to take advantage.

Manjor, who had a game-high 21 points, turned the ball over with 10 seconds left after two missed free throws by DJ Mitchell, and Manjor's 3-pointer was the off the mark with 5 seconds remaining after two free throw attempts by Keshawn Justice.

Despite suffering 17 turnovers, shooting 39 percent from the floor and connecting on only 16 of 29 free throws, Santa Clara won its 19th-straight nonconference home game, matching the school record. The Broncos have not lost in Leavey Center to a nonleague foe since December, 2018.

Justice (11), Josip Vrankic (12) and Jaden Bediako (10) each scored in double figures for Santa Clara, which faces Nicholls on Saturday in the finale of the four-team, round-robin event.

Justice had a career-high 10 rebounds for his first double-double. Bediako notched a career-best 14 rebounds for his third career double-double. Bediako was inserted into the starting lineup for Guglielmo Caruso who missed the game due to concussion protocol after being injured Wednesday against Idaho State.

Cameron Ba posted 14 points for the Aggies who were held to just 34 percent shooting from the field and hit just 5-of-23 beyond the 3-point line.

The final margin was the largest lead for either team in the final 11 minutes of a game tied 14 times.

Foul trouble plagued Vrankic, who had 24 points in the win against Idaho State, for much of the second half. He picked up his fourth foul two minutes after the intermission. The two-time All-WCC selection returned at the 7:43 mark with the Broncos trailing 54-52 and made his presence felt when he scored six of the team's next eight points.

After Manjor sank a pair of free throws to give the Aggies a 61-60 lead, Williams hit a 3-pointer from the corner off a Vrankic feed with 47 seconds left.

The first half was a game of scoring runs after which the Broncos held a 36-35 advantage. Santa Clara held a decided edge on the boards (27-17) leading to 11 second chance points. Bediako pulled down a dozen rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.

Santa Clara led by as many as 12 points but the Aggies closed out the half with a 16-5 run, fueled by eight points from Kennedy Koehler.

Redshirt freshman Miguel Tomley provided a spark off the bench scoring five points, his first as a Bronco, during an 11-2 run in the opening half to put the Broncos ahead 19-12.

HIGHLIGHTS | Chalk up another victory for the Broncos - here are the best plays from Friday's action! #TeamFirst #StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/k9xSYrgsBp

— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) November 28, 2020

NOTES
• Santa Clara now owns an 18-2 record against UC Davis. In the most recent matchup, the Broncos fell to the Aggies, 63-58, in the 2016 Cable Car Classic. Santa Clara won the first 14 games in the series, but UC Davis had captured two of the previous three.
• The teams combined to hit only one of their first 14 field-goal attempts in the second half, including 0-for-9 from the Aggies.
• Jaden Bediako, who started in place of Guglielmo Caruso (concussion protocol), recorded his fourth double-digit rebounding outing, with a career-high 14 rebounds.
• Trent Hudgens Jr. (leg) was also not available for the Broncos.
• The Broncos have now won their last 19 nonconference home games, a record-tying mark. The last loss occurred against Idaho State. The Bengals escaped Leavey Center with a 68-66 victory on Dec. 7, 2018. The school record of 19 straight nonleague home wins began on Jan. 2, 1987 with an 87-80 win over Montana and ended on Dec. 15, 1990 with a 75-66 loss to San Jose State.

��️ Two games down and the Broncos are 2-0! Here's head coach @HerbSendek on today's victory over UC Davis.

Postgame interview presented by @ROATweets.#TeamFirst #StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/dyu40TOHlU

— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) November 28, 2020

��️ Following an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double, @tiggo3justice looks back on Friday's victory!

Postgame interview presented by @ROATweets.#TeamFirst #StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/IdUjb6tdOy

— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) November 28, 2020

NEXT UP
Santa Clara will play on Saturday against Nicholls State in the final game of the Bronco Invitational.  Game time is set for 4 p.m.  Idaho State and UC Davis meet at 1 p.m.

     Bronco Invitational Schedule/Results

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