BRONCO BRIEFS
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Hawaii 67, Santa Clara 57
A non-conference road game resulted in a loss for the Broncos as they fell to 9-15 on the season overall. Senior forward Travis Niesen led Santa Clara with 24 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Junior guard Brandon Rohe followed with 13 points. The Broncos led by eight points at halftime, shooting 44 percent from the floor. However, the Rainbow Warriors went on a 13-4 run in the second half and stalled the Santa Clara effort preventing them from scoring a field goal in nearly the last seven minutes of the game.
Santa Clara 83, USF 78
The Broncos ended a three-game losing streak on the road Monday night at San Francisco. Niesen exploded for 31 points against the Dons and freshman guard Domineek Daniel had a career night with 17 points. Santa Clara played competitively the entire game and didn't give up the lead once, only allowing San Francisco to tie the score three separate times. The Broncos were up by nine with about a minute remaining before the Dons cut the lead to one at the 31-second mark. Clutch free throws sealed the game. Santa Clara shot 55 percent in the first half and led by nine at the break. The men are now 3-9 in the West Coast Conference and will face off against Loyola Marymount on Saturday night at 8 p.m.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Santa Clara 64, St. Mary's 62
At McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, the Broncos were able to keep their winning streak intact in a game that came down to the wire last Wednesday night. Senior guards Kayla Huss and Michelle Cozad led all Santa Clara players with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Both teams traded baskets early on until Huss and sophomore guard Chandice Cronk sunk a number of threes to give the Broncos the lead and a 13-point differential at halftime. The Gaels battled back, however, and got within two with just under a minute remaining. A Huss defensive rebound forced a Saint Mary's foul and the senior was able to sink both of her free throws for the victory.
Santa Clara 67, USF 53
On Senior Night at the Leavey Center, Cozad and Huss combined for more than half of Santa Clara's final point total. Cozad had 23 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, with Huss scoring 15 points of her own with five assists. The Broncos dominated San Francisco throughout the game, jumping to a 13-point lead with seven minutes to go in the first. Santa Clara forced 11 turnovers and limited the Dons to only 33 percent from the field. The Broncos maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the game and won their ninth in a row. The team record is 11 straight wins, which happened during the 1992-93 season. Santa Clara is now in sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference at 10-2. Their next game is tonight at Loyola Marymount.