LAS VEGAS – No. 3 Santa Clara men’s basketball (24-7, 15-3) defeated No. 2 Saint Mary’s (27-5, 16-2 WCC) 76-71 in dramatic fashion on March 9 in the semifinal round of the Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Broncos advanced to the WCC tournament final for the first time since 2007. Santa Clara previously won the tournament in 1993. “We coming for the championship. We’re not satisfied of just getting to the March Madness. We want to win it all,” said Sash Gavalyugov ’29, the game’s leading scorer. “Support us. If you can get a flight to Las Vegas, come support us. The president’s here, so maybe you can excuse them from missing school tomorrow,” said Gavalyugov when asked about his message to students watching back home. Santa Clara University President Julie Sullivan said, “Let the students know I’d be willing to vouch for them,” in response to missing class to travel to Las Vegas for the WCC Championship Game. Gavalyugov finished with 23 points, shooting 5-for-9 from 3-point range. The last time Santa Clara reached the NCAA Tournament was in 1996. The Broncos’ semifinal win over Saint Mary’s significantly strengthened their case for a long-awaited return. “Santa Clara’s season has been nothing short of extraordinary. We’re optimistic about receiving three bids to this year’s NCAA Tournament,” said WCC Commissioner Stu Jackson. The victory also marked the 600th career win for head coach Herb Sendek. The Broncos will learn their postseason fate during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, March 15, at 3 p.m. PT on CBS. “There will be a three-bid WCC in 2026. Santa Clara’s second win this season over Saint Mary’s should push the Broncos into the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Herb Sendek. Somewhere in Las Vegas, Stu Jackson is smiling,” said Jon Rothstein, college basketball reporter for CBS Sports Network. Next up: Santa Clara will face No. 1 Gonzaga at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN in the championship game. The Broncos lost both regular-season matchups against the Bulldogs this year. 📝: @aneeka.sideline & @ninaglickphoto 📷: @ninaglickphoto

LAS VEGAS – No. 3 Santa Clara women’s basketball (24-8, 13-5 WCC) fell to No. 2 Gonzaga (22-9, 14-4 WCC) in the semifinal round of the Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship on Monday, March 9, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Santa Clara had a promising 7-0 run, but the momentum shifted quickly during a difficult shooting stretch. The Broncos missed 13 consecutive shots, allowing Gonzaga to capitalize with a 10-0 run and claim a 6-point lead. Despite Santa Clara shooting just 4-for-20 in the opening quarter, back-to-back 3-pointers from Ava Schmidt ’27 and graduate student Ashley Hawkins kept the Broncos close. A Bulldogs layup in the final seconds of the quarter gave Gonzaga a 17-15 lead. The second quarter was the dealbreaker. Though the Broncos briefly tied the game, the Bulldogs responded with a 14-0 run to pull ahead 31-17. Gonzaga continued to dominate, and Santa Clara could not recover. The Broncos struggled with scoring, shooting just 26.8% from the field and only went 5 for 28 from 3-point range. WCC Player of the Year Lauren Whittaker led the charge for Gonzaga, finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists. The loss was quite different from their most recent matchup, where the Broncos beat Gonzaga 77-73 at the Leavey Center. However, the team still has plenty to celebrate. “We don’t have double-digit losses right now, and there’s not very many teams in the country that can say that. We are very hopeful that our season is not done,” said head coach Loree Payne. The Broncos went through a complete rebuild this year, featuring a new head coach, seven transfers and six freshmen. Despite the new roster, the team secured 10 more wins than it did last season. Next up: Santa Clara hopes to continue their postseason run in the WBIT. 📝: @aneeka.sideline & @ninaglickphoto | 📷: @ninaglickphoto