Broncos Clash with Waves in Thrilling Conference Kickoff!

SANTA CLARA, Calif.– The Santa Clara men’s basketball squad (8-5) will take on the Pepperdine Waves (6-7) in their conference opener on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. The match will be available for streaming on ESPN+ with Anthony Passarelli and Henry Caruso providing commentary. The link is provided above.

The Broncos are coming off their fifth consecutive triumph, achieving a 98-81 win against South Dakota. In that matchup, five players from Santa Clara scored in double digits for the third time this season, the first instance since an overtime defeat to North Dakota State (11/13). Senior guard Adama-Alpha Bal was the standout, scoring 20 or more points for the second successive game. They registered a season-high 98 points, accumulating 31 assists, which is tied for the third most in school history—11 more than their second highest this season. They shot over 50% from the field for the third occasion this year and matched a season high with 13 three-pointers, sinking 10 in the first half, marking their ninth game this season with 10 or more, where they have a record of 7-2 during this stretch.

The Broncos boast four players who rank in the top-30 of the WCC in scoring, with Bal leading at 13.5 ppg (14th in WCC). Junior guard Elijah Mahi follows closely with 13.3 ppg (17th in WCC), Christoph Tilly holds third with 12.2 ppg (22nd in WCC), and Carlos Stewart Jr. concludes the group with 11.4 ppg (27th in WCC). The Broncos are third in the WCC (74th nationally) for bench scoring with 27.15 points per game, and third in the conference (67th nationally) for free throw shooting percentage at 75.4%. They also rank first in the league and 50th nationally with an average of 9.6 three-pointers per game.

Mahi stands fourth in the WCC for field goal percentage (50.0) and ranks 13th in the league with 61 successful field goals. Tilly is 12th in the league for free throw shooting, with a rate of 78.6%. Bal holds the fourth position in the WCC with 2.23 three-pointers per game, and third for total three-pointers made (29).

Santa Clara has also established itself as one of the leading rebounding teams in the conference, coming in second in the WCC with 12.85 offensive rebounds per game (65th nationally) and third in overall rebounds with 38.92 per game (61st nationally). Sophomore forward Jake Ensminger leads the team with an average of 6.5 rpg (14th in WCC) and has recorded 10.0 rebounds per game over the last four encounters.

The Pepperdine Waves commence WCC play with a 6-7 record and have secured victories in four of their last five non-conference contests. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Ed Schilling, Pepperdine is averaging 74.8 points per game and ranks in the top five of the league for field goal percentage defense (41.0). They are also prominent in defensive rebounding, collecting 28.2 per game which places them third in the WCC and among the top-35 nationally. Individually, Stefan Todorovic led the WCC in scoring during non-conference play with 19.3 ppg (29th nationally). Moe Odum is in the top 10 nationally with 7.4 steals per game while Boubacar Coulibaly tops the league with 1.85 blocks per game.

Santa Clara has an 85-64 advantage in the historic series against the Waves, having won the last five outings. Last season, the Broncos triumphed 78-72 in Malibu and recorded a 94-71 victory at home.

For additional details, click the game notes link above. 

STREAMING INFO

The game will be streamed live on ESPN+, accessible here. 

Broncos At A Glance…

Birthday Bal Out:

Adama-Alpha Bal achieved a season high of 27 points in his last appearance against Kennesaw State. The birthday celebrant matched a career high with six three-pointers and tied his season best with four assists. He added 20 points against South Dakota, marking his third game of 20 points this season and his second in a row.

Triple Threat:

In Santa Clara’s victory over Bradley, Elijah Mahi (23), Christoph Tilly (21), and Carlos Stewart Jr. (20) all reached at least 20 points. This is the first instance SCU has had three players score 20 or more since Dec. 18, 2018, in a double overtime victory against USC.

Free Throw Frenzy:

Santa Clara ranks third in the conference (67th nationally) in free throw shooting percentage (75.4). The Broncos achieved a season high with 27 free throws made against Kennesaw State and have had two instances of shooting above 90 percent, including their most recent performance against McNeese State, where they recorded a best of 94.7 percent (18-of-19). They also shot 93.3 percent against UC Riverside (14-of-15).

Three-Point Shooting:

The Broncos lead the league and stand 50th nationally with an average of 9.6 three-pointers per game. They have successfully hit 10 or more threes in nine games this year (7-2), achieving this feat in six consecutive games and recently set a season high of 13 against Fresno State, followed by 12 against Bradley, and 11 against Kennesaw State, matching their season highest once again with 13 against South Dakota.

Balanced Scoring: 

The Broncos currently have four players averaging in double figures: Adama-Alpha Bal with 13.5 ppg (14th in WCC), Mahi with 13.3 ppg (17th in WCC), Christoph Tilly with 12.5 ppg (22nd in WCC), and Carlos Stewart Jr. with 11.4 ppg (27th in WCC).

On the Boards: 

With 12.85 offensive rebounds per game (65th nationally), the Broncos are ranked second in the WCC, and they are third in the league with a total of 38.92 rebounds per game (61st nationally). Sophomore forward Jake Ensminger leads the team with an average of 6.5 rpg (14th in WCC) and has recorded an average of 10.0 rebounds per game across the last four contests.

Stewart Put On a Show:

Carlos Stewart Jr. delivered an MVP-worthy performance at the Acrisure Invitational. The Baton Rouge native began the tournament with a then-season high of 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting against TCU. He followed that up with a new season best of 20 points, alongside five rebounds and three steals against Washington. Throughout the two-game tournament, Stewart averaged 19.0 ppg on 63.6 percent shooting, contributing 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. He added 13 points most recently at McNeese State, 18 points against Fresno State, and matched his season high with 20 points against Bradley.

Tilly Time:

Junior center Christoph Tilly has led the team with ten double-digit scoring games this season. He has surpassed 15 points on four occasions, achieving a season best of 21 points against Bradley (12/14). He also tops the team with 13 blocks, averaging one block per game.

Ensminger Efficiency:

Despite a challenging start to the season in terms of shooting, Jake Ensminger leads the squad in rebounding, averaging 6.5 per game (14th in WCC). He has tied his career record of 11 rebounds twice this season: against TCU (11/28) and during his first start of the season against Fresno State (12/7). Recently, he recorded nine rebounds against Bradley, 10 against Kennesaw State, and 10 against South Dakota, averaging 10.0 rebounds per game over the last four games.

O’Neil Stepping Up:

Senior Johnny O’Neil may not have achieved the offensive start he desired, but the big man from Miami Shores has been formidable on defense. He currently stands second on the team with 5.1 rebounds per game and continues to contribute significantly.

is accountable for SCU’s sole double-double (10 pts/14 reb against North Dakota State). He ranks second on the squad with 11 blocks, including a season-high five against Washington (11/29). He experienced a standout performance in the recent match against South Dakota, tying a season high of 15 points and contributing a career-high six assists.

No Off Days:

Santa Clara’s non-conference strength of schedule is presently ranked 44th nationally out of 364 teams. They have the third most challenging non-conference schedule among WCC teams, following Gonzaga (8th) and San Francisco (38th).

Rising Up in the Ranks:

With the triumph over South Dakota, head coach Herb Sendek ascended to 55th place with 561 career victories, 148 of which were achieved at Santa Clara, ranking fourth all-time at SCU.

Mahi Making Moves:

Junior forward Elijah Mahi has kicked off his SCU journey impressively, scoring in double figures in six of his first eight games this season. The Toronto native accumulated 22 points at Nevada and posted 13 points against TCU, 19 points versus Washington, a career-high 23 points against Bradley, and 14 points in his latest appearance against Kennesaw State. Mahi is the team’s second leading scorer in ppg (13.3), placing him 17th in the WCC.

Sustained Success:

The Broncos have secured 20 or more victories in three successive seasons and four if excluding the 2020-21 COVID season.

Bal Back:

After considering the NBA Draft, Adama-Alpha Bal opted to return to the Broncos for one final season. The Le Mans, France, native is set to once again rank among the premier players in the WCC for 2024-25 following an impressive performance last year. Bal gained recognition as a First Team All-WCC and Second Team NABC All-District selection after averaging 14.4 ppg (7th best in WCC) during a team-high 31.2 minutes of play. He also placed ninth in the conference with 3.1 assists per game and led the Broncos with nine 20-point outings. Bal tops the Broncos in ppg this season (13.5), ranking 14th in the WCC, while averaging 2.23 three-pointers per contest (4th in WCC).

Familiar Faces:

In addition to Bal, a First Team All-WCC honoree last year, the Broncos have reassembled six other significant rotation components. Included among them are All-WCC Honorable Mention from last season Christoph Tilly, and All-WCC Freshman Team selection sophomore forward Jake Ensminger. Furthermore, the Broncos bring back senior forward Johnny O’Neil, senior guard Tyeree Bryan, junior guard Brenton Knapper, and senior forward Camaron Tongue, all of whom played crucial roles for the Broncos last season. The team has retained four of its five starters and 72.8 percent of its scoring from 2023-24.

Added Experience:

The Broncos have also reintroduced senior guard and former Bronco standout Carlos Stewart Jr. During his sophomore year at Santa Clara, Stewart Jr. was recognized as a First Team All-WCC selection, averaging 15.2 ppg. Additionally, the Broncos welcomed West Valley College transfer Elijah Mahi, who joins the team after guiding West Valley College to an undefeated 33-0 season in 2023-24, seizing the state championship title, earning California Player of the Year honors, and winning MVP in the state tournament.

Bayou Boys:

Santa Clara boasts not one, but two Gatorade Louisiana Basketball Player of the Year awardees on the roster – Stewart (2020-21) and freshman Allen Graves (2023-24).

Preseason Poll:

The Broncos were projected to finish third in the WCC preseason poll, with Bal and Stewart Jr. both named to the Preseason First Team All-WCC.

Career Marks:

Carlos Stewart Jr. equaled a career-high of 5 assists in the season opener against Saint Louis, while Camaron Tongue notched a career-best 18 pts. Christoph Tilly made a career-high two three-pointers in the win, and Elijah Mahi scored a career-high 23 points against Bradley. Johnny O’Neil achieved a career-high 14 rebounds against North Dakota State. Elijah Mahi recorded a career-best 10 rebounds against McNeese State, and Jake Ensiminger matched a career-high 11 rebounds two times against TCU, and most recently against Fresno State. Tyeree Bryan added a career-high five steals during the game against the Bulldogs. Most recently, Adama-Alpha Bal tied a career-high six three-pointers against Kennesaw State, and Johnny O’Neil had a career-high six assists against South Dakota.

Pipeline to the Pros:

Only five NCAA D1 men’s basketball programs produced top-20 selections in the 2022 and 2023 NBA Drafts: Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Baylor…..and Santa Clara.

The Broncos have successfully produced consecutive first-round picks in the form of Jalen Williams (12th overall to Oklahoma City in 2022) and Brandin Podziemski (19th overall to Golden State in 2023). Additionally, former Bronco forward Keshawn Justice secured a contract with the Utah Jazz in October 2023 and is currently part of the Salt Lake Jazz.

After becoming the first Bronco to hear his name called in the NBA Draft since Steve Nash in 1996, Williams not only met but exceeded his lottery pick expectations, finishing as a runner-up in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team accolades and being selected for the 2023 Rising Stars Challenge. He improved even further in his second year, averaging 19.1 ppg while starting 71 games and once again being voted to the Rising Stars Challenge.

Podziemski was the first WCC player drafted in 2023, and he also had an outstanding rookie season, receiving NBA All-Rookie First Team honors and earning a spot in the Rising Stars Challenge. Podziemski became the first Golden State rookie since Stephen Curry (2009-10) to achieve 20-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, and five or more assists in a single game, accomplishing this on Dec. 12 against the Phoenix Suns.

Both Williams and Podziemski were also appointed to the USA Select Team in 2023 and 2024, respectively.