Broncos Dominate Cougars in Emphatic WCC Win

Photo by Amy Suh.

It was a commanding victory as the Santa Clara Broncos took down the Washington State Cougars 93-65 in a West Coast Conference showdown on Thursday night. Washington State got off to a hot start, converting three of their first 3-pointers to build an early 11-7 lead while holding the Broncos without a basket for a four-minute stretch. The Broncos came roaring back with a 12-0 run with 4 minutes and 31 seconds left in the first half to take a 40-31 lead, sparked by back-to-back threes by Johnny O’Neil ’25. 

It was the beginning of a big night for O’Neil, who finished with a season-high five 3-pointers scoring 17 points and adding three steals.

“I let the game come to me,” O’Neil said. “I have full confidence in that part of my game and tonight my teammates were finding me and shots were falling.”

Adama Alpha-Bal ’25 capped off the first half with a long 3-pointer to beat the buzzer, giving the Broncos a double-digit 49-38 advantage to close out the half. Alpha-Bal scored 16 points on the night, his 16th game in double digits this season. 

The Broncos forced 11 Cougar turnovers in the first half, tied for the second most they’ve forced in any first half this season. They forced 17 Washington State turnovers on the night and are 5-0 in games where they force 16 or more opponent turnovers this season. 

The Cougars went on a 7-0 run to begin the second half, cutting the Bronco lead to a narrow 51-45 advantage with 17 minutes and 6 seconds left in the game. However, the Broncos responded with a furious 10-0 run to take a commanding 78-60 lead with 5 minutes and 26 seconds to play. The run was sparked by multiple buckets by Christoph Tilly ’26. Tilly had his first double-double of his career, grabbing 10 rebounds and adding 13 points. 

Broncos head coach Herb Sendek said Tilly “works incredibly hard year-round, and that’s what our guys do... Christoph Tily is an incredibly dedicated, hard worker, and he just keeps getting better.”

The Broncos ended the contest on a 25-5 run, shutting down the Cougars down the stretch.

Washington State’s LeJuan Watts led the Cougars with a triple-double, recording 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the unrelenting Bronco avalanche. 

This was the Broncos second-largest margin of victory this season trailing only their 38 point victory over UC Riverside on Nov. 19, 2024

The Broncos look to win their third straight game Saturday as they take on the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis on Saturday.