Broncos Glide to Victory Over South Dakota: A Fifth Straight Triumph!

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It was a day for remarkable offense and winning streaks on Saturday, as the Santa Clara University men’s basketball team secured its fifth successive victory with a season-high of 98 points and five players achieving double figures, as the Broncos dashed the holiday spirit of visiting South Dakota with a 98-81 non-conference triumph at Leavey Center.
 
HOW IT UNFOLDED

• This marked the third occasion this season that Santa Clara (8-5) had five or more players scoring in double figures in a single match. Adama-Alpha Bal was a standout with his second consecutive 20-point game, contributing 20 points along with four 3-pointers, five rebounds, and five assists. Tyeree Bryan continued his scoring with 16 points, recording his fifth consecutive game in double figures, while Johnny O’Neil had a season-high of 15, Christoph Tilly delivered 11, and Brenton Knapper scored a season-high of 10 points, also adding five assists, a rebound, and a steal.
  
• Santa Clara’s 98 points represented their highest scoring game since notching 104 against San Diego in the West Coast Conference Tournament on March 9, 2024. The Broncos achieved a shooting percentage of 52.7% from the field, the only instance greater being their 58.3% against UC Riverside on Nov. 19, and marked the second consecutive game where they shot over 50% (similarly shooting 50% against Kennesaw State on Wednesday). Santa Clara also tied for a season-high with 13 3-pointers, with seven different Broncos hitting at least one trey.
  
• South Dakota (9-6) matched with five double-digit scorers, with Kaleb Stewart leading with 15. Cameron Fens topped the Coyotes in rebounding with eight. Max Burchill helmed the offense with a team-best five assists.
  
• The Broncos demonstrated offensive prowess in the first half, complemented by their excellent 3-point shooting. In the opening 20 minutes, Santa Clara made 10 3-pointers, matching or exceeding their total from seven other games in the 2024-25 season. They shot 50% (10 for 20) from three-point range and 60.5% from the field. Nine players participated in the first half, each contributing three or more points, with eight of them also grabbing at least one rebound and registering at least one assist.
  
• A run of 8-0 five minutes into the game transformed a four-point contest into a 12-point lead for Santa Clara at 21-9. South Dakota managed to cut the deficit to six, but Santa Clara answered with a 23-7 surge that extended their lead to 55-33.
  
• Santa Clara also dominated the rebounding battle, outpacing the Coyotes 24-12 in the first half. This included eight offensive boards that led to seven second-chance points and a 16-8 lead in defensive rebounds. The Broncos concluded the game with 46 rebounds, marking their second-highest total this season.
  
• Jake Ensminger recorded double-digit rebounds for the third time in his last four games with 10. He secured the game’s initial rebound off a misfire from USD’s Kaleb Stewart after the opening tip and then sprinted down the court and scored the first points of the day with a layup. The Coyotes managed to tie the game once at 2-2, but Santa Clara never fell behind during Saturday’s matchup.

NOTABLE STATS

• 5: Santa Clara’s five-game winning streak is its longest since beginning the 2023-24 season with a 6-0 record between Nov. 8-24.
• 12: Bal’s 20 points marked his third game this season with 20 or more points, the second in consecutive games, and the 12th of his career at Santa Clara.
• 38.2%: The Broncos registered a shooting percentage of 38.2% from beyond the arc on Saturday, marking their sixth best performance from three-point range.

POSTGAME REMARKS

5-straight??

Listen to today’s victory remarks from Coach Sendek??#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/uJuREUpqcF

— Santa Clara Men’s Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) December 22, 2024

What a performance from @johnnyoneil14

1??5?? pts

4??-6?? 3PT

6?? ast

5?? reb

Get the full story directly from him ??#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/fjUsenrm27

— Santa Clara Men’s Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) December 22, 2024

UP NEXT

• Santa Clara concludes its three-game homestand at 4 p.m. on Saturday with a West Coast Conference matchup against Pepperdine. Supporters can acquire tickets and access all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.