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Santa Clara Advances to WCC Semifinals
March 5, 2005
By GREG BEACHAM SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Kyle Bailey scored 17 points and Santa Clara beat San Francisco 67-60 Saturday night in the quarterfinals of the West Coast Conference tournament despite failing to make a field goal in the final 13 minutes. Brody Angley had 13 points and seven rebounds for third-seeded Santa Clara (15-15), which avenged two narrow regular-season losses to the Dons with a tenacious victory in the Broncos' tournament opener on their home floor. Santa Clara maintained its lead with a long parade to the free throw line, going 19-for-27 in the second half. Bailey hit eight free throws after halftime, while Travis Niesen went 8-for-8 and finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Tyrone Riley scored 18 points and WCC scoring leader John Cox had 17 in his final game for the Dons (16-12), who grew infuriated by the second-half foul disparity. But they couldn't make enough shots to get any closer than eight points until the final seconds. Santa Clara advanced to face second-seeded Saint Mary's in the semifinals on Sunday night. The Bay Area rivalry should provide an exciting night, since Santa Clara beat the powerful Gaels twice during the regular season - and the Broncos, who beat No. 2 North Carolina in November, are hoping to make up for their inconsistent season with a strong tournament run. San Diego plays top-seeded Gonzaga in Sunday's early game at the Leavey Center. The WCC has been extraordinarily competitive this season behind Gonzaga, reaching seventh in the conference RPI standings behind the six BCS leagues. The Broncos built a big lead early in the second half with good outside shooting and a timely fast break. Santa Clara also played better defense: Doron Perkins blocked two USF shots early in the second half, then taunted the green-and-gold student section behind the basket.
Incredibly, the Dons held Santa Clara without a field goal after Ethan Rohde's 3-pointer with 13:33 left, but still couldn't rally. Santa Clara led 53-34 on Bailey's free throws with 11:37 to play, but San Francisco scored the next 11 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Riley. Angley scored 12 points in the first half, just three shy of his career high. |
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