Behind the Scenes with the Broncos: Team Predicts
Super Bowl Champion
Coming off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 16 points,
Bronco freshman Robert
Smith helped Santa Clara defeat San Diego 59-43 on Saturday
evening. Santa Clara is 10-16 and 2-6 in WCC play. San Diego is
9-16 and 2-7 in WCC play. Santa Clara returns home on Thurs., Feb.
11 to host LMU at 7 pm.
Coach Keating was pleased to see the team put together as close
to a complete game as they have in awhile. "We were facing a team
that lost one of its seniors to a terrible injury two nights ago
but I was glad to see our guys step up and get a good win for us,"
said Keating. "We responded in the right way. I am proud of the
guys tonight and look forward to returning to the Leavey Center for
a three-game home stand."
Santa Clara shot 48.6 percent, including 40 percent from beyond
the arc. The Broncos collected 30 rebounds, nine steals and five
blocks with 15 turnovers. The Broncos scored 23 points off
turnovers. San Diego shot 35.9 percent, including 30.8 percent from
beyond the arc. The Toreros collected 24 rebounds, five steals and
three blocks with 16 turnovers. They had no one in double figures
and were led by Roberto Mafra's eight points off the bench.
Individually, Smith scored 16 points with four rebounds and four
assists in 36 minutes. Raymond Cowels scored 11 points with a
career-high four steals and Marc
Trasolini collected a team-high seven rebounds. Trasolini had
zero shot attempts, but was seven of 10 from the free throw
line.
"Robert played aggressive and under control," said Keating. "He
was taking shots in rhythm and has come an extremely long way. He
is really figuring out his spots and played well coming off the
bench to start. We didn't shoot our free throws very well tonight
but with a short time prepared we worked a lot on the zone
yesterday."
In the first half, both teams started slow offensively. Smith
hit the Broncos first basket at 18:16 and between that Payne and
Trasolini both missed two free throws each. San Diego got on the
board with its first point when Chris Manresa hit a free throw at
16:13.
The two teams tied it up at 5-5 after they traded baskets and
then Harrison dunked on an alley-oop from Cowels to take a 7-5
lead. Michael
Santos took it to the basket for a score, was fouled and sunk
the `and one' at 12:44 for a 10-7 Bronco lead.
San Diego tied it up 11-11 at 9:44 with a free throw. SCU, which
came in second overall in league play at the free throw line,
started 3 of 9 and USD was 3 of 8 from the charity stripe at
9:44.
Dowdell tied it 13-13 with a lay-up at 8:29. Brandon Johnson
sank a three at the buzzer to put USD up 16-13 at 7:15.
Back-to-back Bronco baskets by Phillip
Bach and Smith gave Santa Clara a 19-18 lead at 3:23. A Cowels
three gave the Broncos a 22-19 lead over USD.
Trasolini, who was scoreless thus far, made both free throws at
1:00 to give SCU the lead again at 24-22. After a Toreros timeout
they scored to tie it up 24-24. Santa Clara's Chris
Cunningham a two-foot jumper with less than three seconds to go
gave Santa Clara a 26-24 at the half.
Santa Clara was led by Niyi
Harrison's seven points and Marc
Trasolini's four rebounds. Santa Clara shot 45 percent in the
first half to San Diego's own 42.9 percent.
Michael
Santos opened the second half with a three pointer to give the
Broncos a 29-24 lead. Dowdell hit a free throw to make it 30-24 SCU
at 18:52. USD connected on a three (17:10).
Smith sunk a three from the top of the key at 15:00 and then a
lay-up at 13:31 to make it 13:22. USD had seen enough and called
timeout with the Broncos up 35-28.
Out of the timeout Cowels stole the ball and Smith hit another
jumper to make it 37-28. Harrison blocked a Manresa ball and Smith
came down to hit another three to make it 40-28 SCU at 11:03 when
Bill Grier halted the Toreros play again with a timeout. Smith had
scored the last 10 Bronco points on their 10-3 run.
Two Trasolini-made free throws and then two by Cowels made it
44-31 Broncos at 8:46.
A three by Cowels at 7:10 was followed by a dunk by Dowdell gave
the Broncos a 49-33 lead at 6:40. Fouled in an attempt, Trasolini
was seven of nine from the free throw line, but was yet to attempt
a shot in the game (doesn't count as an attempt if fouled) to give
the Broncos a 52-37 lead at 3:55.
"Marc has to understand he's a target and when teams play zone
has to be ready," added Keating. "It's part of the maturation
process."
Cowels' third three of the night, hitting the bottom of the net
at the buzzer, gave the Broncos a 55-39 lead at 2:16.
Dowdell sank two free throws to make it 58-42 Broncos at
1:15.