Broncos corral Stuckey
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – John Bryant scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Santa Clara held Eastern Washington’s Rodney Stuckey – the nation’s third-leading scorer – to his lowest total ever on the way to a 91-68 men’s basketball win Monday night.
Mitch Henke had 17 points and Brody Angley added 16 points and five assists for the Broncos (7-3), who utilized a decided size advantage to win for the fifth time in six games.
Stuckey, averaging 26.7 points going into the game, picked up two quick fouls and did not score in the first half.
He scored 12 in the second half, but played just 25 minutes and did not lead the Eagles in scoring for the first time in 37 games. The sophomore guard, the reigning Big Sky MVP, struggled with his touch, going 5 of 13 from the floor.
Eastern Washington (5-5), which trailed by as many as 29 points late in the second half, was outscored 44-24 in the paint in losing for the fifth time in six road games this season.
Omar Krayem led the Eagles with 19 points and was 6 of 7 on 3-pointers. Kellen Williams came off the bench for 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Santa Clara held a one-point edge at halftime, but broke the game open with a 12-2 run to open the second half, with Bryant’s four points and a 3-pointer by former Eagle Danny Pariseau providing the spark.
“We can’t play a team this good on their home floor and not come out and give a good effort,” said Eastern coach Mike Burns.
“I don’t know why we thought it would get easier in the second half, but we came out without much energy and we paid a price for it.
“In the first half we did a pretty good job,” Burns said of the Eagles’ defense. “In the second half, we let them whip the ball around. We had to front the post tonight because of our size disadvantage. If you allow them to work it around the floor, they are going to find the post.”
Pariseau, who spent his first three seasons at Eastern Washington before transferring to Santa Clara, started and had five points and nine assists.
Angley’s two-handed scoop shot underneath the basket and a dunk by Tristan Parham – playing for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Nov. 28 – pushed the Broncos’ lead to 61-45 with 13:44 remaining.
The Broncos trailed late in the first half but went on an 11-4 run for a 37-35 lead. Matt Penoncello put Eastern back in front with a 3 with eight seconds left, before Angley’s 10-foot jumper at the buzzer gave Santa Clara a 39-38 halftime lead.
Eastern committed 13 turnovers the first half, but went 8-of-11 shooting on 3s kept it close.