Web extra: Winning streak at three with victories over St. Mary's and USF

By Chris Furnari

Santa Clara 63, Saint Mary's 57

Scott Dougherty had a career high 23 points as the Broncos pushed their way past Saint Mary's in a 63-57 road victory.

The win gave the Broncos sole possession of second place and a 6-2 league record.

Dougherty shot 8 for 14 from the floor and 50 percent from behind the arc.

"I started the game feeling pretty confident," said Dougherty. "I probably took a few more shots than I normally would have because the ball was going in tonight."

Sean Dennison and Brody Angley added 12 and 11 points respectively in the win.

The Broncos led by as many as 11 points in the second half but lost the lead 53-52 with 4:20 left to play after Saint Mary's guard Wayne Hunter hit a rise up jumper, giving the Gaels their first lead in over 26 minutes of play.

Despite overcoming the 11 point deficit, the Gaels faltered in the waning moments of the game, and the Broncos were able to hold on for the win. A pair of Dougherty free throws gave the Broncos a 54-53 advantage with four minutes left. Dennison then put the Broncos up three with a huge dunk that provided a spark for the Bronco offense late.

The Broncos shot 49 percent for the game, but struggled from the free throw line shooting a dismal 42.9 percent.

"Let's face it," said Davey, "the ball went in a few more times for us rather than them. We were fortunate enough to make a few more baskets than they did."

The Broncos wasted no time jumping out to a lead in the early goings of the game. Santa Clara began the game on a 7-0 run, picking up where they had left of from the previous win over Saint Mary's.

Santa Clara held Saint Mary's leading scorer Diamon Simpson, who is averaging 17.1 points per game in conference play, to just 6 points. But the Broncos struggled to find an answer for Saint Mary's forward Brett Collins, who led all scorers with 21 points in the first half alone.

Santa Clara adjusted defensively and limited Collins' touches in the second half, something that factored into the win.

Davey was also commemorated for his illustrious 15-year career as Broncos' head coach before the game. Gaels head coach Randy Bennett presented Davey with an argyle sweater in honor of his recent retirement announcement.

Santa Clara 74, USF 62

Behind seniors Danny Pariseau and Sean Dennison, The Broncos defeated the San Francisco Dons 74-62 to sweep the season series.

The win, along with Gonzaga's loss to Loyola Marymount, pushed the Broncos into a tie for first place in the WCC.

Pariseau led the Broncos with 19 points, none bigger than his back-to-back three point shots as time was winding down in the second half. Pariseau shot 5 for 7 from behind the arc for the game and 60 percent from the field.

USF was down by as much as 17 in the first half, but mounted a comeback in the second. Danny Cavic hit a 3-point basket with 3:18 remaining to pull the Dons within 3 of the Broncos.

On the next possession, Scott Dougherty returned the favor, hitting a deep two point shot to extend the Broncos lead back to five and halt the Dons' comeback.

"I told Scott (Dougherty) in the huddle, 'Now would be a good time to make a shot'," said head coach Dick Davey. "I think he remembered that the next time down the court, and he really stepped up for us tonight."

USF's Antonio Kellogg brought the Dons within three again, but Pariseau connected twice from deep to put the game away.

Sean Dennison added 18 points and a career high 16 rebounds for a double-double.

Davey credited the Broncos tough defense as a major factor in the win.

"We have been on a good streak defensively for the past few weeks," said Davey. "We had a bit of a slump shooting the ball tonight, but our defense kind of saved us."

With a 7-2 conference record, Santa Clara has a chance it's best chance in years to win a regular season conference title.

"Our goal for the season is to win league, and we can't lose again," said Pariseau. "The pressure is on us, if we want to win league we have to win from here on out."

The deciding game will likely be against Gonzaga when the Broncos travel to Spokane on Monday. Gonazaga has not lost at home in 49 games.

First, the Broncos will play Portland on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. This game marks the first of four road games out of the remaining five as Santa Clara finishes off the regular season.

Contact Chris Furnari at (408) 551-1918 or cfurnari@scu.edu.