Bronco Buzzer-Beater Clinches Overtime Victory
Bronco Carlos Stewart ’25 scores jumping layup
By Alejandro Gonzales for The Santa Clara
Bright lights flashed around the Leavey Center as the highly anticipated matchup between the Santa Clara Broncos and the Oregon State Beavers kicked off. The so-called “white-out” night was in full swing, and the Bronco crowd was in full force all night—and were rewarded for their support in the end. Tyeree Bryan ’25 tipped the ball through the basket with three seconds remaining, securing an exhilarating 82-81 Bronco victory.
“I think it will definitely be one of those moments I don’t forget for sure,” Bryan said.
Bryan snagged 7 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive end, providing the Broncos with clutch second-chance opportunities.
“It’s always about the next play. When I’m not having my best scoring night, I’m just thinking about how I can help my teammates,” Bryan added.
The Broncos had a night full of ups-and-downs, leading early by double-digits in the first half and then finding themselves tied with the Beavers at the half, 32-32. The back-and-forth battle continued into the second half with the Broncos keeping the Beavers within striking distance due to inaccurate free-throw shooting.
“We’ve been in so many close games, had some heartbreaking losses and some really exhilarating wins,” Broncos head coach Herb Sendek said. “Our guys found a way to make the winning play.”
Sendek applauded his team's resilience in their struggles from the charity stripe and for the win.
Elijah Mahi ’26 led the way with 21 points, with this as his third game of the season scoring 20 or more points. Mahi added a season-high 5 assists and chipped in 6 rebounds. Adama-Alpha Bal ’25 had 19 points, his sixth straight double-digit scoring effort.
Carlos Stewart ’25 and Camaron Tongue ’25 each chipped in 10 points apiece.
This marked the first time since 2022 that the Broncos were victorious in a matchup that reached the overtime period. This win gives the Broncos momentum as they face a challenging stretch of opponents ahead, kicked off by a chance at revenge against the San Francisco Dons.