Broncos: Champions at last

By Gabe Taylor

As guard Kevin Foster lifted up his tournament MVP trophy Wednesday night, his smile said it all.

Santa Clara capped off its unpredictable season with an inspiring 76-69 win over Iona College to be crowned the CollegeInsider.com Tournament Champions.

In a game filled to the brim with streaks and unyielding play, the Broncos out-battled the Gaels for their first tournament championship in the school's history. The win improved Santa Clara's overall record to 24-14, with 24 wins being the most raked in by the Broncos since the ‘68-'69 season.

When Senior Ben Dowdell attacked the rim as time was winding down, it was evident that his four years prepared him for this moment. With the Broncos clinging to a six-point lead and only one minute remaining on the game clock, Dowdell absorbed the contact, drew a foul, and gracefully laid in the basketball; an and-one that put the final nail in the coffin.

After facing a 16-8 deficit early in the game, the Broncos responded with a 7-0 run to pull within one. Minutes later, Foster – who started off slowly, missing all three of his attempts from beyond the arc – struck back with a deep three pointer, giving the Broncos the first lead of the game at 20-19. The lead would never be relinquished.

Santa Clara was not finished yet. With hot outside shooting and Dowdell transforming into a scoring threat in the key, Santa Clara rode a 17-0 run to push the lead to 30-19.

The Gaels halted Santa Clara's run at the four-minute mark when guard Sean Armand drilled a three.

Iona pulled within five with a minute left in the first period, but Michael Santos' lay-in topped with Foster delivering a 40-foot buzzer beater, helped Santa Clara head to the locker room with some room for comfort.

"[Foster's] maturity level has really elevated in the second half of the season, and certainly the tournament," said Head Coach Keating.

Despite the momentum being in favor of the Broncos, the Gaels took over as the aggressor for the start of the second half, opening with an 8-0 run. Pressure shifted to Santa Clara.

Lack of ball movement, and an addiction to three point shots provided Iona with the opportunity to regain confidence. It took until the second half for Iona to lock in on defense, centering their attention around Foster while using physicality to jeer the Broncos out of their rhythm.

Shortly after, the Gaels tied up the game at 40-40. Once again, however, Santa Clara rebuilt from their near collapse, jumping out to an eight point lead.

"We had chances like that during the season when we gave up leads and didn't get them back," said Keating, proud that his team remained poised even though Iona stayed within striking distance.

With just over seven minutes remaining, Foster sank a three to give the Broncos their largest lead of the game.

Despite key jumpers, Foster struggled to find his shooting touch percentage-wise, ending 6-20 from the field (3-12 from beyond the arc). A main reason for this was a result of the Gael's bodying up on Foster as soon as, and even before, the ball sailed into his hands. But Foster, a born scorer, still found a way to lead the team in scoring with 16 points including clutch points late in the game, and was honored with the MVP award following the team's victory.

"He's definitely going to have a bull's-eye on his back," said Keating, explaining how teams will continue to key in on the sharp-shooter.

Dowdell made sure to go out on a bang. The senior's pure toughness on both side of the floor proved to be relentless, effectively igniting the Broncos anytime Iona came knocking at the door. Dowdell finished with a game-changing 14 points to go along with 8 boards. Fellow Senior Troy Payne added six rebounds.

Most importantly, however, were the contributions from top to bottom on the roster. The bench combined for 28 points and proved to be critical in the outcome of the game. Senior Michael Santos served up 10 point and eight rebounds in his final game as a Bronco.

"They [the seniors] did what you want seniors to do in their last game," said Keating. "I'm really proud of those guys."

Raymond Cowels also found his stroke after coming off the bench, connecting on three from deep.

Leading the way for Iona was forward Michael Glover, who scored a game-high 22 points as well as grabbing 12 rebounds to end with a double-double.

"They can't think that this year's success is going to translate into success next year," said Keating, commenting on the future of Santa Clara basketball. "It's going to elevate our program and put us on a different level if we let it, and if we take that challenge head on."

As Champions of the CIT, the Broncos are gaining national attention, and awareness of the team is bound to increase. Next season, the team will be put to the test once again. This time, Santa Clara will carry in something new: the experience of being champions.

"They're hungry for more," said Keating.

The Broncos return home tomorrow afternoon. A welcome home party will take place at 12:30 p.m. in Benson to celebrate the team's achievements.

Contact Gabe Taylor at gtaylor@scu.edu or (408) 551-1819.