SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Eli Scott dominated inside with a career-high 37 points but it was his late jumper that proved to be the game-winner, lifting LMU past Santa Clara basketball, 76-73, on Tuesday night.

LMU (10-6, 5-3 West Coast Conference) trailed 73-72 after Santa Clara's Guglielmo Caruso made one of two free throws with less than 1 minute remaining but with 14 seconds left Scott hit a fallaway 15-foot jumper, for the 10th and final lead change of the game.

Santa Clara (9-5, 3-3) had a chance to answer but Josip Vrankic was called for traveling with 4.7 seconds remaining. After Joe Quintana sank two free throws, Christian Carlyle's potential game-tying 3-pointer from the top of the key missed the mark as the game clock expired.

Scott was a load to contain all game, muscling his way to 15-of-22 shooting from the floor and 7-of-9 from the line while playing the entire game. Keli Leaupepe recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Quintana finished with 12 points.

Playing its first game since a road win over LMU on Jan. 23 after a pause in team activities due to COVID-19 protocol, Santa Clara had four players score in double figures led by Jalen Williams with 18 points, which matched his season-high to go along with a career-high tying six assists.

DJ Mitchell added a season-high 16 points, Caruso chipped in with a season-best 15 and Carlyle scored 14 for the Broncos who shot 51 percent from the floor, their second-best mark of the season.

The Broncos had their biggest lead of the game at 70-63 after a Williams 3-pointer but LMU went on a 9-2 run including five straight points by Scott to knot the game at 72-all.

Josip Vrankic, the leading scorer for Santa Clara, was hampered by foul trouble as he picked up two quick ones in the opening minute of the second half. He did not return until just under 5 minutes left in the game. He scored just three points in 22 minutes of action.

A total of 46 fouls were called as LMU made 18-of-23 free throws and Santa Clara finished 20-of-28.

Jaden Bediako fouled out in just 18 minutes of action and LMU had five players end the game with four fouls.

The Lions shot 50 percent from the floor in the game, including 14 of 26 (54 percent) in the final 20 minutes, and held a 44 to 30 edge in points in the paint.

The Broncos, who entered the game allowing opponents to shoot just 38 percent from the field (No. 7 in the nation), were without second-leading scorer Keshawn Justice due to concussion protocol.

NOTES
• In a series that began in 1937, Santa Clara holds a 92-64 lead. The Broncos snapped a
four-game losing streak in the series with last month's 72-69 win on the road. The teams
have split the last 14 meetings. The Lions have won five of the last six in Santa Clara.
• The Broncos went 24 days between games due to a pause in team activities with COVID-19 protocol. Last time out, Santa Clara defeated LMU, 72-69, on the road (Jan. 23).
• Jalen Williams (18 points) scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, including fourth game in a row. He matched a season-high in points and was one off his career-high set against Mississippi Valley State (Dec. 20, 2019).
• Christian Carlyle (14 points) scored in double figures for the fourth time this season.
• This was the second straight meeting the teams combined for 46 fouls. Santa Clara was called for 22 fouls, tied for the second-most this season. The Broncos and Lions were each whistled for 23 fouls in the meeting in Los Angeles on Jan. 23. Santa Clara was also assessed 22 fouls against Nicholls (Nov. 28).
• The Broncos went 20-for-28 (71.4 percent) from the free-throw line. Overall, they have struggled this season, connecting on only 67.5 percent (ninth in the WCC) entering the game. However, Santa Clara shot 74.4 percent (78 of 105) over the previous five games, including a season-best 84.0 percent (21 of 25) against LMU (Jan. 23).
• LMU entered the game averaging a league-high 16.3 turnovers per game but committed only nine.
• Josip Vrankic and Eli Scott of LMU entered the game as two of the three players in the WCC (also Drew Timme of Gonzaga) averaging at least 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
• Vrankic attempted just one field goal, the lowest total of his career in 106 games. He played only 22 minutes due mostly to foul trouble. He was assessed his third and fourth fouls in the opening 54 seconds of the second half and did not return until there was 5:43 remaining in the game. Previously, he had attempted two field goals three different times (1-for-2 at Pepperdine, Jan. 27, 2018; 1-for-2 vs. Prairie View, L, 81-64; 1-for-2 vs. Portland, March 5, 2020).

��️ Hear from head coach @HerbSendek on tonight's game against LMU.

Postgame interview presented by @ROATweets.#TeamFirst #StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/7sIQ5JjiNS

— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) February 17, 2021

NEXT UP
The Broncos will face San Diego on Thursday at the Leavey Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Per Santa Clara County guidelines, fans are not permitted in the arena.

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