Bronco briefs
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Santa Clara 87, Portland 77
Senior forward Travis Niesen had 19 points and 10 rebounds while freshman center John Bryant added 15 points and 13 boards to assist in helping the Broncos win their first conference game of the year. Santa Clara shot 35 of 41 from the line which marks the fourth most in school history. The Broncos out-rebounded the Pilots 43-23 and freshman guard Calvin Johnson hit a three-pointer with 2:01 left in the game to seal the victory.
Santa Clara 77, Bucknell 68
In the Cable Car Classic final, Niesen scored 24 points to defeat the upstart Bison (9-2) who knocked Kansas out of the NCAA Tournament last year. Johnson had 16 points, five rebounds and two assists before fouling out. This marks the first Cable Car title for the Broncos since 2002.
UNC 76, Santa Clara 58
In a rematch of last year's season opening upset of the eventual national champion Tar Heels, Niesen scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds, but only shot 1 for 9 in the second half due to a stinging North Carolina defense. Up by three in the beginning of the second half, the Tar Heels went on a 25-9 run in an eight-minute span to go up by 19 with a little over eight minutes to play. Five players scored in double digits for UNC, who lost seven of their top scorers last year to graduation and the NBA.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Santa Clara 74, Portland 73
Santa Clara hit a school record 18 three-pointers in last Sunday's close game against the Pilots. Junior guard Ashley Graham scored a career high 33 points, 20 of which came in the second half. Senior guard Michelle Cozad earned her first ever triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. The Broncos were trailing by 18 late in the first half when Graham initiated a 20-4 run to finish out the half. Graham hit the eventual game winner during a lane drive with 46 seconds left in the game.
Gonzaga 70, Santa Clara 60
On the road in Spokane, three Broncos scored in the double digits as sophomore guard Tracey Walker led the way with 17 points, nine rebounds and six steals. The Lady Bulldogs proved to be too overwhelming, however, and defeated Santa Clara in its first WCC matchup of the season. The Broncos struggled early connecting on only three of 19 and only shot 34.9 percent from the field.
Santa Clara 81, SJSU 70
In their annual Rivalry Series game, the Spartans were defeated on the road by the Broncos and Cozad earned her third straight double-double in this Dec. 17 game. Junior forward Ashley Gonnerman and sophomore guard Chandice Cronk finished with 16 points each on the night.
--From staff reports