SANTA CLARA, Calif.- It has been a record breaking season for Santa Clara men’s basketball this year. The Broncos surpassed the 20 win threshold for a program record fourth straight season (fifth straight if you exclude the 2020-21 Covid-shortened season). Santa Clara finished in fourth place in the WCC standings for the fourth straight year, and won 12 conference games, the most since the 1994-95 season where the Broncos were WCC Regular Season Champions with a 12-2 record.
The Broncos set a single season program record with 335 three pointers, blowing the previous record of 318 in 2016-17 out the window. This historic number is just 14 threes short of breaking the WCC single season record set by San Francisco back in 2022-23. This included another program record of four games with 15 or more threes, and 21 games with 10 or more treys. The Broncos also shattered their own record for three point field goals in conference play (180 in 2016-2017) with a total of 210 treys.
You can’t talk about three pointers without mentioning the Broncos record breaking 109-79 victory at Washington State on Feb. 22. The Broncos hit a WCC and program record 23 three-pointers, which is tied for the most in NCAA D1 history by a road team. It was the most points the Broncos have scored in any game since the 2017-2018 season opener vs. La Verne (120) and the most points scored on the road since Feb. 19, 1972 (111 at Pepperdine).
Now, let’s get into the defining moment of the Broncos season: the victory over Gonzaga on January 18. The Broncos scored 103 points on the No. 16 ranked Bulldogs, the most points ever scored by an opponent at the McCarthy Athletic Center. They hit 18 three pointers which was the second-most (now third) SCU has ever tallied in a game and the most anyone has ever given up in Spokane. The 103-99 victory in Spokane was the Broncos first road win over a ranked opponent since December 4, 1993 (vs. #13 Cal), and first time defeating Gonzaga in back-to-back years since 1999-00 and 2000-01. Not to mention it was their first time defeating a Gonzaga team in Spokane since Feb. 12, 2007.
Tyeree Bryan earned WCC Player of the Week honors and was selected as Santa Clara’ first ever recipient of the Oscar Roberston National Player of the Week Award after a monster 35 point performance at Gonzaga, which was the most points anyone has scored in a Bronco uniform since Brandin Podziemski scored 38 on Jan. 28, 2023 vs. Pacific. Elijah Mahi also earned WCC Player of the Week honors after averaging 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 blocks vs. Portland and San Diego. The Broncos had three players receive All-WCC accolades with Adama-Alpha Bal earning a First Team selection for the second straight season, while Crlos Stewart Jr. and Christoph Tilly both earned Second Team selections.
Speaking of scoring, the Broncos are currently averaging the second most points in the WCC (and 26th best nationally) at 81.5 points per game (just behind Gonzaga’s 87.6). That mark is fifth in program history and the best in the Herb Sendek era (since 2016-2017).
1. 83.7 (1969-70)
2. 83.1 (1967-68)
83.1 (1978-79)
4. 82.3 (1966-67)
5. 81.5 (2024-2025)
On top of that, the Broncos have now scored 90 points or more in 11 games this season, a new program record.
No. of games with 90+ points:
11- 2024-25
10 - 1969-70
8 - 1966-67, 1967-68, 1978-79
In fact, in the last eight games the Broncos are averaging 86.9 ppg, while limiting opponents to just 67.9 ppg. The Broncos are 6-2 in that stretch with their only losses coming at Saint Mary’s and at home against Gonzaga. Defensively, SCU held opponents to just 40.5 percent shooting and 28.3 percent from 3-point range. They also outrebounded opponents 38.3 to 30.6. The Broncos have now held opponents to under 25% from three point range six times this season and rank 34th nationally in three point defense, holding opponents to 30.7 percent. The Broncos have won the rebounding battle in 21 games (18-3), shot over 50% in 13 games (11-2) and have hit 10 or more threes in 21 games (17-4).
Santa Clara is in the midst of one of their best stretches in program history. The Broncos have 84 wins in the last four years (this season included), which is the second-most in a four-year span in program history, second only to an 85-win stretch from 1966-67 through 1969-70.
Stretching the streak back to the last six years, the Broncos have won 116 games - the second-most wins in a six year span in program history. The feat is all the more impressive when you factor in that one of those seasons was the Covid-shortened 2020-21 campaign which was limited to just 20 games total and SCU went 12-8.
119 wins from 1967-68 through 1972-73
116 wins from 2019-20 through 2024-25
115 wins from 1964-65 through 1969-70
Santa Clara currently ranks sixth nationally in three-pointers per game (10.8) and 26th in three-point shooting (37.8). They also rank 22nd nationally in assists per game (16.9) and 26th in bench points per game (28.52). They are third in the WCC and 56th nationally in rebounding per game (37.81) and are one of four teams in the WCC to have four players in double figures (Washington State, LMU, and Gonzaga).
And the 2024-25 season is far from over. The Broncos will head to Las Vegas for the 2025 Credit Union 1 WCC Basketball Championship on March 6-11 at the Orleans Arena. The Broncos secured the No. 4 seed in the tournament and will play their first game Sunday, March 9 at 5:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2 against the winner of Pepperdine/Portland and Oregon State.
