Bedlam in the Bay: Santa Clara Defeats Gonzaga

13 years of trying, 13 years of frustration. But last night, the Broncos righted all the wrongs of the past decade with a euphoric 77-76 win against the Gonzaga Bulldogs, bringing the sold-out Leavey Center to court-storming madness.

Bronco Brenton Knapper sizes up Bulldog Anton Watson. Tejas Akula/KSCU

The men’s basketball team sported the Steve Nash era throwback jerseys and came out emulating that 1996 March Madness-qualifying team to a stadium packed to the brim with raucous fans–including the Santa Clara and NBA legend himself.

If the Broncos wanted a shot at winning they needed contributions from across the board, and they got that. Brenton Knapper, Johnny O’Neil, Adama-Alpha Bal and Tyeree Bryan all had at least six points during the first half, much-needed contributions with prolific scorer Carlos Marshall Jr struggling mightily all night.

There was a lid on the rim in the first half for the Zags, who only made a paltry one out of 12 shots from the three-point line, facing a 40-34 halftime deficit. Nevertheless, as the perennial power of the West Coast Conference (WCC), the Bulldogs simply would not quit. Veteran forward Anton Watson poured in 17 first-half points as the team fought to give Head Coach Mark Few his 700th career win. This helped offset the foul trouble that Graham Ike found himself in after picking up three fouls in just 10 minutes of play.

Moving into the second half, Santa Clara needed and found a resilience that had escaped them during last year's matchup, where they heartbreakingly lost in the final minutes. Experienced players like Knapper and Christoph Tilly weren’t going to let this one slip away.

The Broncos persisted despite 15 second-half points from Ryan Nembhard and a career-high 32 from Anton Watson, a scoring line that has downed several teams in the past.

On offense, Adama-Alpha Bal simply would not be denied. After splitting a pair of free throws that could have tied the game for Santa Clara, Nembhard’s miss in the front end of the one-and-one bonus gave Bal the opportunity for a legacy-defining moment. His thunderous and-one finish in the last 4.6 seconds of the game set the crowd ablaze and, when the dust settled, pure bedlam arose as students, alumni and fans rushed the court to celebrate Santa Clara’s first win over Gonzaga in over a decade.

The buy-in from a player like Brenton Knapper was on full display. He has been passed over by several incoming transfers over the years but fought for his playing time and exploded with a career-high 16 points, including making four of six shots from behind the three-point line.

“Brenton was tremendous tonight, outstanding on both ends of the floor,” said Santa Clara Head Coach Herb Sendek. “He’s just a guy, from day one, who is unconditionally all in”.

Five Broncos scored in double figures, with Knapper, Bal, Bryan, O’Neil and Tilly willing the team across the finish line. Normally, a four-point, one-of-seven shooting and five-turnover performance from Marshall would have doomed Santa Clara, but not tonight. The Broncos came together at every junction, overcoming the turnovers, the missed free throws and the Bulldogs’ relentless attacks.

It was Santa Clara’s night, much to the delight of former Broncos Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski, who posted on social media in support of their alma mater team. Alongside a retweet of the final score, Podziemski’s tweet read, “we on the map now.”

With ESPN making a rare appearance, Santa Clara got their moment on the national stage, rising to the occasion as viewers tuned in to the Leavey Center from across the world. The transfers the Broncos have brought in, the draft picks they’ve produced and every fan donning a Steve Nash jersey, faces filled with pure euphoria as they rushed the court postgame, have now experienced the ineffable joy of a seemingly impossible win.

“It was amazing having all of the fans storm the court, being able to see everybody, just pure joy,” said Santa Clara forward Johnny O’Neil. “That was something that I’m never going to forget.”