LAS VEGAS – A historically good offensive performance propelled Santa Clara men's basketball to the semifinal round of the 2024 Credit Union 1 WCC Basketball Championship. The Broncos took down San Diego, 104-79, in Saturday's quarterfinal, setting a new program record for most points scored in the WCC Tournament. Six players logged 11 points or more in the victory with Adama-Alpha Bal and Johnny O'Neil leading the charge with a combined 44 points. 

The win was Santa Clara's 20th of the season, making it three-straight 20-win campaigns for the Broncos, and four of the last five seasons. It is just the third time in program history that the Broncos have won 20-plus games in three consecutive seasons (1967-68 through 1969-70 and 1982-83 through 1984-85). It is also win No. 140 for Herb Sendek at Santa Clara, who claimed sole possession of the fourth spot on the school's all-time wins list. In doing so, he has tied the legendary Dick Davey for the fewest number of seasons needed to achieve 140 victories (eight). 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After some back-and-forth play resulted in neither team holding more than a two-score advantage for the first 11 minutes of action, Santa Clara lunged ahead with an 11-2 run to take a 35-25 lead with 5:26 to play in the half. That lead increased to as much as 18 and the Broncos took a 17-point advantage into the locker room at 51-34. 
• Bal (16) and O'Neil (10) each scored in double figures in the opening 20 minutes while Camaron Tongue came off the bench to score eight points in just nine minutes of work, including a thunderous dunk that resulted in an and-1 situation and gave Santa Clara their first double figure lead of the night. 
• The Broncos pulled down 32 rebounds in the first half and shot 44 percent from the floor.
• Santa Clara (20-12) kept their foot on the gas in the second half and maintained a wire-to-wire double digit advantage for the rest of the night. 
• San Diego (18-15) used a mini 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 11 with 11:40 to play, but the Broncos responded with a 10-0 run of their own to regain control. Santa Clara led by as much as 27 down the stretch in the blowout victory. 

 
NOTABLE NUMBERS:

• The 104 points were the Broncos most of the season and their third 100-point game of the year.
• SCU pulled down 55 rebounds, just one shy of tying their season high and two shy of tying their highest total in the WCC Tournament (57 vs. LMU on March 6, 1989). 
• Santa Clara dominated the boards with a 55-25 advantage and allowed just seven offensive rebounds to the Toreros. 
• Bal finished with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists for his ninth 20-point outing of the season.
• O'Neil was an outstanding 8-of-11 from the field for 20 points to go with four rebounds and three steals.
• This is just the second time this season that two Broncos scored 20 or more in the same game (Stanford - Bal (23) and Carlos Marshall, Jr. (20). 
• Marshall, Jr. and Tyeree Bryan each logged 13 points with the latter pulling down a team-best nine rebounds, tying his season high. 
• Tongue was 8-of-9 from the charity stripe as part of 12-point night while Christoph Tilly scored 11 points to go with seven rebounds. 
• The Broncos set program records in the WCC Tournament for both free throw makes (35) and attempts (41). 

 
POSTGAME COMMENTS:
 


NEXT UP:
The Broncos and No. 1 seed Saint Mary's will face off at 6:00 p.m. PT on Monday, March 11, in the semifinal round. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.