SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara University men's basketball team kept its holiday hot streak going Saturday, winning its sixth game in a row and eighth consecutive West Coast Conference opener by beating visiting Pepperdine, 91-80, at the Leavey Center.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Five Broncos scored in double digits to help Santa Clara (9-5, 1-0 WCC) score 90 or more points for the fourth time this season and third time in a row. The Broncos hit a season-high 15 3-pointers, with eight different players hitting at least one long ball. Adama-Alpha Bal led Santa Clara with 19 points and Tyeree Bryan was right behind him with 18. Johnny O'Neil and Carlos Stewart both poured in 11 points, and Christoph Tilly chipped in 10.
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- Pepperdine (6-8, 0-1 WCC) was led by a game-high 25 points from Stefan Todorovic. Boubacar Coulibaly pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. Moe Odum dished a game-leading nine assists while scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds.
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- The Broncos jumped on Pepperdine early in both halves. They went on a 14-4 run in the first five minutes of the game to take an early 12-point lead at 18-6. And they went on what was a 10-0 run to both end the first and start the second half, pushing their lead to 16 2 1/2 minutes after halftime.
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- Pepperdine cut its deficit down to single digits twice in the second half, but the Broncos' offense was too overwhelming. Santa Clara finally put the Waves away for good with a 14-2 run that started at the 8:56 mark. It was bookended by a 3-pointer and a dunk from Bryan, and gave SCU its largest lead at 86-69. Five different Broncos scored during the run, and the points came from layups, 3-pointers, a dunk, and a free throw, proving the diversity of Santa Clara's offense.
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- As they've done during much of their six-game winning streak, the Broncos pushed their lead to double digits all game with pin-point shooting from deep. Santa Clara led by double digits on seven separate occasions. Four times in the first half and twice in the second, it was a 3-pointer (or two) that grew those leads to 10 or more points. The Broncos hit nine 3-pointers in the first half on 40.9% shooting, with six different players making at least one trey.
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- Pepperdine's Dovydas Butka proved to be a problem Saturday for the Broncos. He pulled the Waves to within five points all by himself in the second half, turning a 12-point game into a five-point one in just 80 seconds. He went on his own 7-0 run at the 11:41 mark with three consecutive baskets including a 3-pointer, pulling the Waves to within five at 70-65. He eclipsed his season average of 7.7 points per game in the first 11 minutes, scoring nine on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from the floor, including a 3-pointer, and three rebounds. He'd finish the game with 16 points, eight boards and three assists.
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- When Butka re-entered in the first half after his first breather, he didn't so much as get a shot off, much less score any points. The Broncos smothered the Pepperdine sophomore forward in the paint, not allowing any entry passes. That strategy had repercussions, however, as it opened up the perimeter for the Waves. Pepperdine hit four treys after Butka left the game the first time. Butka himself assisted on Danilo Dozic's 3, which made it a five-point contest with 3:14 to go before halftime.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- 5: The Broncos had five players score in double figures Saturday for the second game in a row. It was the eighth time this season (and fifth in a row) that they've had at least four double-digit scorers.
- 87.0: Santa Clara is averaging 87 points per game during its current six-game winning streak, including three consecutive 90-point games.
COMING UP
- Santa Clara hits the road next week for two WCC games. The Broncos head up the peninsula to face rival San Francisco Monday before flying south to take on San Diego. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.
