SANTA CLARA, Calif.- Santa Clara men’s basketball is set to play their first game from the comfort of home this Wednesday night as they welcome North Dakota State for a 7:00 p.m. tip. The Broncos are 7-1 in home openers under Herb Sendek and have won their last five. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Anthony Passarelli and Henry Caruso on the call.
The Broncos were 1-1 in the opening week of the 2024-25 campaign, picking up a big win against Saint Louis in the season opener before suffering a setback against Arizona State in Las Vegas. The Sun Devils knocked down 15 3-pointers and pulled away late despite big nights from newcomer junior forward Elijah Mahi (19 points, four assists, three steals) and senior guard Carlos Stewart Jr. (17 points, five rebounds, five steals).
Similar to the Broncos, South Dakota State has also opened the year with a 1-1 start. The Bison defeated Jameston 96-59 and fell 77-68 against Illinois State. They will take on Cal State Bakersfield on Mon. Nov. 11 prior to driving north for Wednesday’s showdown on the Mission Campus.
Led by David Richman in his 11th year at the helm, NDSU was 15-17 last season. Preseason All-Summit League selection Jacari White leads the team offensively with 24.5 points per game while Tajavis Miller and Treyson Anderson are averaging 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Wednesday’s game will be just the second meeting ever between the Broncos and Bison. The other meeting happened on Nov. 29, 2013 at the Cable Car Classic in the Leavey Center. Brandon Clark dropped a game-high 32 points, but it wasn’t enough to give SCU the win as they fell 91-85.
For more information, click on the game notes link above.
STREAMING INFO
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be accessed here.
Broncos At A Glance…
Sustained success: The Broncos have won 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons and four if you exclude the 2020-21 covid season.
Familiar Faces: The Broncos returned four of five starters from last season, highlighted by senior guard Adama-Alpha Bal, who was a First Team All-WCC selection last year, and All-WCC Honorable Mention junior center Christoph Tilly. Jake Ensminger was a member of the WCC’s All-Freshman Team last season as well.
Added Experience: The Broncos bring back senior guard and former Bronco Carlos Stewart Jr. As a sophomore at Santa Clara, Stewart Jr. was a First Team All-WCC selection, avg.15.2 ppg. The Broncos also added West Valley College transfer Elijah Mahi, who has scored in double figures in back-to-back games as a Bronco after leading West Valley College to an undefeated 33-0 season in 2023-24 capturing the state championship title, and being named California Player of the Year and winning MVP in the state tournament.
Louisiana Ties: Santa Clara has not one, but two Gatorade Louisiana Basketball Player of Year winners on the roster - Stewart (2020-21) and freshman Allen Graves(2023-24).
Preseason Poll: The Broncos were picked to finish third in the WCC preseason poll, while Bal and Stewart Jr. were named to the Preseason First Team All-WCC.
Career Marks: Carlos Stewart Jr. tied a career high 5 assists in the season opener against Saint Louis, while Camaron Tongue scored a career high 18 pts. Christoph Tilly made a career high two three pointers in the victory, and Elijah Mahe scored a career high 19 pts against Arizona St.
