Elijah Mahi ’26 (8) drives a stolen ball down the court. (Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)

Santa Clara University men’s basketball (23-6, 14-2) traveled north to face conference rival University of San Francisco (15-15, 7-10) on Saturday night in a matchup with crucial postseason implications for the Broncos. To keep fighting for the top spot in the West Coast Conference, the Broncos entered War Memorial Gym knowing every possession mattered.

Both teams opened the game firing from 3-point range. The Broncos went 4-for-7 while the Dons shot 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, heading into a media timeout with under 12 minutes left as Santa Clara held a 26-21 lead.

The Broncos made back-to-back threes during an 11-0 run to push the lead to 13, going up 37-24 with less than nine minutes remaining in the half.

The Santa Clara-friendly crowd celebrates. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Santa Clara maintained a double-digit lead for most of the half until the Dons went on a 10-2 run, capped by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The Broncos led 44-38 at halftime.

The teams combined for 16 3-pointers in the opening half, which is the most in a WCC game this season. Santa Clara shot 8-for-17 from beyond the arc, while USF went 8-for-15.

Christian Hammond ’28 tied his career high in made 3-pointers in just the first half, going 4-for-5 from deep for 16 points. Elijah Mahi added 12 points and four steals before the break.

The Broncos regained momentum with a quick 6-0 run to start the second half. After a Thierry Darlan ’27 3-pointer, Santa Clara led by 16 with 14 minutes remaining.

Another 9-0 run extended the Broncos’ lead to 22 at 73-51. USF cut into the deficit with an 8-0 run, but Santa Clara responded with four quick points and never let the lead fall below 14 for the rest of the game.

Mahi sealed the game with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc in the final 10 seconds. He followed it with Stephen Curry’s signature “Night Night” celebration to cap off the 21-point victory.

Elijah Mahi (8) celebrates after the game. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Mahi finished with a career high of 30 points, tied for second-most by a Bronco this season. He was named WCC Player of the Game and WCC Player of the Week for the second time this season.

“Tremendous feel and vision. Scoring isn’t always his greatest attribute. He is also a tremendous playmaker, sets his teammates up very well any time he draws a second defender,” said coach Herb Sendek when asked about Mahi’s impact.

Hammond finished with 18 points and has now reached double figures in a team-best 24 games. It marked his fourth consecutive game with at least 15 points.

Francis Chukwudebelu ’29 logged extra minutes and recorded three assists along with a block after Allen Graves ’29 suffered an ankle injury following a dunk early in the first half and did not return to the game.

Allen Graves ’29 walks off the court in a boot. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

“We’re so talented. We got so much talent on our team. Basketball is only five people on the court, but we really got talent up and down the roster,” said Mahi when asked about the team’s resilience after Graves’ injury.

The Broncos converted 17 USF turnovers into 25 points while committing just 10 themselves. Santa Clara completed the regular season sweep over USF for the first time since the 2022-23 season.

The win sets a program record for most conference wins in a season, surpassing the mark previously set by the 1967-68 and 1968-69 NCAA Tournament teams at 13. With two games remaining, the Broncos have an opportunity to extend the record. The 23rd win ties the 2022-23 season for the most victories under Sendek.

Next up: The Broncos travel to Moraga to face rival Saint Mary’s College in a pivotal WCC matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m., a game that could shake up the conference standings.