Web update: Broncos defeat Portland 52-50

By Ryan Donough

The Broncos bounced back from their devastating lost to Gonzaga on Saturday with a narrow win over the Portland Pilots 52-50.

The end to the game was eerily reminiscent of the Gonzaga game as freshman guard Ben Dowdell threw the ball down the court with just over two seconds to play and Portland sophomore guard Nik Raivio caught the ball past half court but was unable to get a shot off as time expired.

It was a sluggish game all night and the Broncos lacked the intensity they had on Saturday but were able to come away with the victory to improve to 12-10 overall and 4-3 in the conference.

The Broncos struggled in the final six minutes as the Pilots wouldn't go away with strong play from Raivio who led all scorers with 23 points for Portland. However, the Pilots had a dismal night shooting just 32 percent from the field.

Santa Clara began the game slow, but bounced back to shoot 45 percent from the field, giving them the lead at halftime 24-23. Bryant was solid in the first half, leading the Broncos in both scoring and rebounding in the first half with six points and five rebounds.

The Broncos' defense was outstanding once again holding the Pilots to only 35 percent shooting for the game.

Despite the lead at the half, Keating laid out a challenge to his team.

"I just said come out and play hard," Keating said. "When all else fails and your shots aren't falling just come out and play hard."

Keating more specifically laid out a challenge to Angley who struggled in the first half with only three points on 1 of 3 shooting.

"He didn't have a very good first half and I have to accept the fact that I have to be hard on the best players some times."

Angley responded by scoring 11 of his 14 points in the second half and turning the ball over only one time during his 40 minutes of play.

Santa Clara was led once again by junior center John Bryant who led the Broncos with 15 points while bringing down 13 rebounds.

The Broncos face the St. Mary's Gaels next Monday at 8 pm in Leavey Center. The Gaels are ranked No. 23 in the nation according to a ESPN/USA Today Poll. Saint Mary's defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Monday night 89-85 in overtime for a share of first place in the conference.

Other Notes:

Angley's 14 points made him the 26th player in Santa Clara history to reach the 1,000 point club, which he celebrated by throwing the game ball given to him by Athletic Director Dan Coonan into the stands for a lucky fan to grab.