Men's hoops on a long, winding road

By Jeremy Herb

After finally stopping their worst losing streak in 32 years Monday, the men's basketball team is searching for answers.

The Broncos' 80-56 victory over Portland ended their seven-game skid, but trapped in the cellar of the WCC with a 2-7 record, the Broncos (9-12 overall) have fallen too low to rebound this year.

"I don't like it," sophomore guard Brody Angley said. "It's hard as a player, because all you want to do is win."

The Broncos have five conference games remaining and would have to run the table just to climb back to a .500 conference record. Entering conference play, Santa Clara was tied for third in the WCC with a 7-5 overall record.

Statistically, the Broncos are in the middle of the pack in the conference. Santa Clara is ranked fifth offensively -- with a scoring average of 68.4 points per game, and is second in defense, allowing 67.8 ppg.

In conference matchups, however, the numbers tell a different story. Before Monday's game, the Broncos were last offensively in the WCC -- averaging 66.5 ppg, and seventh on defense, allowing 76 ppg.

"Defensively, we haven't played well," head coach Dick Davey said. "Our defense has let us down the last four or five games as far as keeping our opponents at a number we can deal with."

While the Broncos have struggled defensively, other elements have aided their losing streak. During the seven-game slide, some recurring patterns arose that the Broncos need to change if they want to climb back into the middle of the pack.

Fundamentals

Both Davey and his players cited defense as the team's biggest problem. In every one of the Broncos' losses, the opposing team had a higher field goal percentage.

Against San Diego on Jan. 30, the Toreros shot 61 percent from the floor and made 53 percent of their 3-pointers in the 81-66 loss.

"Defensive breakdowns, that's what it boils down to," freshman guard Calvin Johnson said. "We need to pick up the intensity, be more intelligent on the court, know our assignments, know what we need to do."

The Broncos have also had problems putting points on the board. Against Pepperdine, Santa Clara shot 27 percent. The Broncos were held to a meager 17 points in the first half in the 65-45 loss.

"I think everybody didn't really want to be that aggressive (in the Pepperdine game)," freshman center John Bryant said. "A couple people played good, but most of the team was playing passive."

Discipline

Untimely fouls have hindered the Broncos as well. In their meeting against San Diego on Jan. 16, a 75-69 loss, the Broncos had 25 fouls compared to the Toreros' 16. This includes six fouls in the final three minutes, after the Broncos had cut San Diego's lead to three points.

The most foul-plagued game during the losing steak, however, was at Loyola Marymount. In the final 7:47, the Broncos did not allow the Lions to shoot a field goal. However, the Lions still outscored the Broncos in the final minutes because Loyola was able to score 19 points from the free-throw line.

For Bryant, staying out of foul trouble has been a problem. The 6-foot-11-inch freshman has 53 fouls this season, second on the team, even though he has the fewest minutes of any starter.

'Mental Lapses'

In many of the losses, the Broncos have stayed with their opponent for most of the game, but the opposition usually pulls away during key stretches.

In their first loss to San Diego, the Broncos had a 34-27 halftime lead, but the Toreros went on a 21-4 run to start the second half that gave them a 10-point lead and, eventually, a six-point victory.

In their next game against Loyola Marymount, the Broncos also led at halftime, 24-22, but the Lions went on a 13-1 run in the second half to keep the Broncos from getting close again.

"We need to play a full 40 minutes instead of only 20 or 30 minutes," Bryant said. "No mental lapses."

Against San Francisco on Jan. 28, the Broncos and Dons traded points the whole game. But when the Broncos were trailing 65-64 with 3:25 remaining, they didn't score again the rest of the way, going 0-for-4 from the floor and committing two turnovers in the 72-64 loss.

Injuries and Inexperience

While injuries haven't caused the Broncos to lose any games, they have not made the task of winning any easier.

Two original starters, junior guard Brandon Rohe and junior center Sean Denison, both succumbed to injury early in the season and missed significant time this year. Also, senior forward Tristan Parham has only played in two games this season, and is likely out for the remainder of the year due to persistent knee problems.

To make matters worse, Niesen suffered a back injury against Pepperdine after running into a water cooler that caused him to miss the team's second game against San Diego.

The multiple injuries have forced the team to start two freshmen and have left them with a short bench. The team isn't making any excuses, however.

"Excuses. Everybody has one," Davey said. "You don't like to make excuses. You have to do with what you have. And what we have right now, we're trying to play with them. The young guys are getting a chance to play a lot, so hopefully it makes them better down the road."

This is Davey's 14th year as Broncos head coach. In his first 10 years, his teams only finished below .500 once, but in the past three, the Broncos have failed to finish above .500, and barring a miraculous finish, Santa Clara will be under .500 again this year.

"Obviously, we can't win (the conference) this year," Davey said. "But we hope to mature enough to have a chance next year."

The team's victory Monday over Portland is one step forward. The Broncos shot 65 percent from the floor, the first time they have shot above 50 percent since they began conference play.

Santa Clara will try to extend their winning streak Saturday night on the road against Saint Mary's.

Contact Jeremy Herb at (408) 551-1918 or jmherb@scu.edu.