Men’s Basketball Falls Short Against Gonzaga

Tickets were sold out as students showed their support for the Broncos. Photo by Amy Suh

Last Tuesday, Feb. 25, marked this season’s second showdown between the Santa Clara Broncos and Gonzaga Bulldogs, the first of which the Broncos won in a thriller on the Zags’ home turf, 103-99. The anticipation for this Senior Day matchup—at least by Bronco standards—was off the charts, and student tickets sold out just minutes after they were listed. 

The first 10 minutes of the game were exhilarating, and the sold-out crowd in the Leavey Center responded. The Broncos started an impressive 8-for-8 from beyond the 3-point line with the ensuing crowd roar from the coined “Ruff Riders” shaking the building. The Bronco’s 13-3 lead just three minutes in seemed promising and had the Zags on their heels early. 

But the Broncos’ dominance quickly wore off as Gonzaga shook off the “travel legs” and began to look more like their usual selves. The Zags went on a 10-0 run to finish the first half, completely shifting momentum in their favor. Their 8-point deficit became a 44-42 lead heading into the locker room, leaving the once raucous Broncos in dead silence. Gonzaga’s revamped full-court press defensive strategy completely stalled the Bronco offense.

Despite their promising start from beyond the arc, the Broncos would go on to make just three more 3-pointers during the remaining 30 minutes of game time, mustering only 34 second-half points.

“They changed some things defensively, and we had a difficult time finishing at the rim,” head coach Herb Sendek said following the loss. “We had 17 turnovers, and you’re not gonna score when you’re not shooting.” 

But, even when they had chances to shoot, the ball wasn’t finding the net for the Broncos. Shooting 3-for-14 to start the second half, Gonzaga’s lead quickly grew out of reach for the Broncos. Their shooting percentages for all three categories—field goal, 3-point, and free throw—declined significantly from their first half marks. What was once a close game turned into a near-blowout, with the Zags taking a 20-point lead with just under five minutes to play. The final score ended just under that, with the Zags emerging a whole 19 points ahead of the Broncos, 95-76.

Tyeree Bryan ’25 led the Broncos with 18 points, while Carlos Stewart Jr. ’25 with 14 points, Adama-Alpha Bal ‘25 with 11 points and Camaron Tongue ’25 with 11 points also reached double-digits on the evening. After putting up a whopping 35 points during the first matchup, the Zags had a better plan for covering Bryan, but he still managed to reach his 14th game of double-digit scoring this season. Stewart finished in the double-digit range for the 18th time, and Bal’s 11 points put him at 21 games in the double-digits, which leads the team. 

Despite the loss, with their 11 converted 3-pointers, the Broncos set a new program record for 3-pointers made in a single season with 322. They will undoubtedly add to this number with at least one more game to play. 

Now sitting at 20-11 overall, the Broncos will head to Las Vegas for the West Coast Conference Tournament, where they were given the No. 4 seed. Under the tournament format, the Broncos will receive two consecutive byes, facing one of Pepperdine University, University of Portland, or Oregon State University in their first game. A win would match them up against top-seeded Saint Mary’s in the semifinal game. Though the Broncos have lost to them in both meetings this season, it is now March, with the NCAA tournament—or “madness”—right around the corner. Crazier things have happened…Who knows? Maybe a matchup in the WCC Championship against Gonzaga is on the books.