PULLMAN, Wash. – Santa Clara men's basketball set a new WCC and program record, and tied the NCAA D1 record for a road team with 23 3-pointers as they exploded for a 109-79 win inside Beasley Coliseum. The Broncos' 109 points were their most in a game since 2017 and the most against a conference opponent since 1979.Â
Santa Clara (19-10) improved to 11-5 in WCC play, tied for the most wins of
Herb Sendek's tenure (2022-23) and the most since Dick Davey guided the 1994-95 Broncos to a 12-2 record and the regular-season conference title.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first 20 minutes could not have gone much better for the Broncos as they shot a ridiculous 15-of-19 from 3-point range and turned in 61 points (most in a half this season). After missing their first trey attempt of the afternoon, they knocked down 11Â consecutive triples before their next miss.Â
- Johnny O'Neil led all scorers at the break with 17 points while Tyeree Bryan (4-for-4) and Carlos Stewart Jr. (3-for-3) were both perfect from beyond the arc for 12 and 13 points, respectively.
- The Broncos led by as much as 31 at 50-19 with just under six minutes left in the opening half. They went into the break with a 61-33 advantage.
- While the shooting percentage numbers dipped slightly in the final 20 minutes, the Broncos put a clamp on the contest by outscoring the Cougars 48-46 in the half.
- The closest Washington State (16-13, 6-10) came was a 19-point deficit following a 13-3 run to make it 79-60 with just under 10 minutes to play.
- Jake Ensminger tied the program record of 22 treys with 2:38 remaining and Brenton Knapper had the honor of breaking the record outright on the next possession on what would prove to be the Broncos' final field goal of the night.Â
- Santa Clara finished the game shooting 54.2 percent from the floor and 60.2 percent from 3-point range (23-of-38).
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NOTABLE NUMBERS
- Santa Clara's 23 3-pointers are tied for the most ever scored by a team on the road, joining No. 18 Alabama at LSU on Jan. 19, 2021 and Campbell at Liberty on Jan. 23, 2018.Â
- The 23 treys are the second-most in NCAA D1 this season (UTRGV - 24 vs. Biblical Studies).Â
- 109 points are the most the Broncos have scored since the 2017-18 season-opener against La Verne (120). It is the most scored against a conference opponent since Feb. 10, 1979 (113 vs. Saint Mary's) and the most scored on the road since Feb. 11, 1972 against Pepperdine.
- This was Santa Clara's 10th game with 90 or more points, tying the school record set in 1969-70, and second 100-point game of the year.
- The Broncos' 38 3-point attempts were tied for the most this season, with their win at Gonzaga on January 18 when they knocked down 18 triples.
- Stewart finished with 22 points for his team-leading sixth 20-point game on the season.
- Elijah Mahi was right behind him with 19 points while Brenton Knapper scored a career-high 18 points.
- With O'Neill and Bryan also adding 10-plus points, the Broncos had five players score in double figures for the eighth time this season.
- Santa Clara has shot 50 percent or better in 12 games (10-2).
- The Broncos dominated on the glass, outrebounding Washington State 38-22 overall and 13-4 on the offensive glass. They held a 14-2 edge in second chance points and attempted 19 more shots because of their work on the offensive boards.
- Santa Clara has won five of the last six against Washington State. This was their first win in Beasley Coliseum since Dec. 29, 2018.Â
POSTGAME COMMENTS:
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UP NEXT
The Broncos will play their third game in a six-day stretch on Tuesday, Feb. 25, as they return to the Leavey Center for the final time this year and host Gonzaga for an 8:00 p.m. PT tip. The game will serve as senior day for the quartet of
Adama-Alpha Bal,
Johnny O'Neil,
Carlos Stewart Jr. and
Camaron Tongue, who will be honored in a pregame ceremony.
