Santa Clara men’s basketball defeated Stanford 83-78 in a closely contested exhibition matchup on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Leavey Center. More than 1,500 fans filled the stands to cheer on the Broncos in the Bay Area battle.
Coming off an impressive season where the Broncos made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years, Santa Clara looked to carry that momentum into the upcoming season.
Despite missing several key players, including Sash Gavalyugov ’28, KJ Cochran ’29, and newcomer David Castillo ’28, the Broncos managed to pull off a hard-fought victory over the Cardinal.
Elijah Mahi, who is seeking to return to Santa Clara for a fifth season but is not currently listed on the team’s roster, was spotted watching the game from courtside seats rather than the team bench.
Freshman Brayde Kuykendall ’30 delivered an impressive performance in his first appearance as a Bronco, leading Santa Clara with 18 points. Kuykendall knocked down several crucial three-pointers to help push the Broncos to victory.
Jake Ensminger ’27 also made a significant contribution, recording a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Santa Clara controlled much of the first half, building an 11-point lead following a layup by Noah Badibanga ’29 with less than five minutes till the break. However, Stanford closed the gap before halftime, giving the Broncos only a 37-32 advantage.
The Cardinal fought back in the second half, eventually taking a 69-62 lead with seven minutes left. Santa Clara responded with a late comeback, outscoring Stanford 21-9 in the final minutes to secure the win.
Brad Longcor III ’29, who redshirted his first season with the program, made his Bronco debut against Stanford and finished with 11 points. Longcor delivered one of the biggest plays of the night, knocking down a three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining to seal Santa Clara’s 83-78 victory.
Foul trouble was a challenge for the Broncos, as Stanford attempted 46 free throws compared to Santa Clara’s 18. Despite the gap, Santa Clara maintained an advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Cardinal 38-32.
The Broncos will travel to face Utah State on Saturday, Oct. 24th, for their final exhibition matchup before the start of the regular season.