SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It was déjà vu all over again Tuesday night for the Santa Clara University men's basketball team – postseason version.
 
The Broncos dominated visiting UC Riverside for the second time this season, going over the 100-point mark and setting a new West Coast Conference record along the way as they cruised past UC Riverside, 101-62, at the Leavey Center to kick off the 2025 National Invitational Tournament.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Santa Clara (21-12) made each of its first three shots Tuesday, two of them 3-pointers from Johnny O'Neil and Tyeree Bryan. That made it 8-0 right out of the gate. The two treys gave the Broncos 349 on the year, tying the all-time WCC record. Only 55 seconds later, O'Neil hit another 3-pointer, giving the Broncos an 11-0 advantage 2 1/2 minutes into the game, and the all-time mark in the WCC with 350 3-pointers made on the season.
   
• Santa Clara would finish with 16 3-pointers in the game, including a buzzer-beater at the end of the game by walk-on Malachi Douyon for his first career points, his first career made basket and of course, his first made 3-pointer. That put the Broncos' new program and WCC season record for 3s at 363. They shot 59.3% from deep, their second-highest percentage from deep, behind only their record-setting 23 3s performance at Washington State on Feb. 22, where they shot 60.5%.
   
• UC Riverside (21-13) finally made its first basket nearly three minutes in. It made a couple in a row, actually, to bring its deficit down to six at 11-5, but that was as close as it'd get the rest of the night. Santa Clara shot 52.2% for the rest of the first half, including making four more 3-pointers. Once the Broncos put their lead back to 10 with an Elijah Mahi jumper at the 11:54 mark, it never again dipped below double digits.
   
• All but two Broncos (10 total) that got on the floor Tuesday scored at least three points, all but three had at least one assist, and all but one had at least one rebound. Five Broncos scored in double figures, led by Bryan's 17. Mahi scored 15, Christoph Tilly poured in 14, Jake Ensminger added 12 and Carlos Stewart Jr. chipped in 10.
   
• Nate Pickens was the Highlanders' lone double-figure scorer with 15 points. Santa Clara outrebounded UC Riverside, 33-28, and dominated the scoring in the paint, 40-24. The Broncos forced 14 turnovers and assisted on 28 of their 37 baskets.
   
• Santa Clara nearly repeated its second-half performance from the teams' first meeting on Nov. 19. It shot 70% in the second half alone, nearly matching its 75% rate in the final 20 minutes on Nov. 19. UC Riverside fully ran out of gas with under five minutes to play, not scoring another point after the 4:40 mark. That allowed the Broncos to go on an 18-0 run over the game's final minutes, exploding their lead from 21 to 39 by the final buzzer. The winning margin was only three points off their 42-point victory on Nov. 19.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 5: Santa Clara's 16 3-pointers marked the fifth time this season it's hit at least 15 treys in a game. It is 5-0 in those games.
• 16: Not only did the Broncos hit 16 3-pointers Tuesday, but Bryan and Mahi also recorded their 16th double-figure scoring games of the season. It was Bryan's second in a row and fourth in his last five games. It was Mahi's fourth in his last six games.

POSTGAME COMMENTS:



COMING UP

• Santa Clara awaits the results of Wednesday night's game between Saint Joseph's and UAB to see who it'll play in the second round. The game will take place on either Saturday or Sunday. Fans can find all updates on the next round on SantaClaraBroncos.com.