LAS VEGAS – Santa Clara men's basketball picked up another big nonconference victory on Saturday evening to send themselves into the short holiday break on a high note. The Broncos rallied in the second half to defeat Duquesne 81-73 at Orleans Arena. Santa Clara trailed by eight with just over nine minutes to play, but closed the game on a 17-4 run to pick up the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Santa Clara (9-5) scored the game's first eight points and led by 10 at 17-7 thanks to some hot 3-point shooting. The Broncos knocked down five triples during the opening six minutes of action and finished the half 5-of-8 from distance.
- Duquesne (8-3) used a 9-0 run to take a four-point lead with 4:47 left in the first half, however the Broncos grabbed the lead right back with a 9-0 run of their own, however the Dukes knocked down two late treys inside the final 45 seconds, including one at the buzzer, to grab the 37-36 advantage heading into the locker room.
- Both teams shot 48 percent in the opening half.
- Out of the break, the Dukes quickly mounted an eight point advantage before the Broncos began to chip away with a 6-0 run. Duquesne again worked the lead back up to eight at 54-56 with 9:08 to play.
- The Broncos then used an 8-0 run to tie it back up at 64-64 with 6:49, but Duquesne came right back with a mini 5-0 run of their own to regain a five-point lead. However, that was the last time they would hold the lead as Santa Clara regained the lead. Adama-Alpha Bal drained a key 3-pointer with 1:43 to play to make it a two-possession game at 75-71, and the Broncos closed the game on a 17-4 run to pick up the victory.
NOTABLE NUMBERS:
- Carlos Marshall, Jr. and Bal each finished with 19 points to pace the Broncos while Brenton Knapper finished with a career-best 12 points.
- The Broncos shot 49.1 percent (26-53) for the game while limiting the Dukes to 39 percent (21-54).
- Santa Clara also excelled from 3-point range with an 8-for-15 mark (53 percent). Marshall Jr. led the way individually with a 3-for-4 mark from distance.
- Jake Ensminger and Francisco Caffaro each had solid games off the bench with eight points apiece.
- Duquesne's Dae Dae Grant scored a game-high 32 points to lead the Dukes.
UP NEXT:
The Broncos have one final nonconference game ahead on Dec. 30 against Yale inside the Leavey Center.
