Web update: Home sweet home for men's basketball

By Kurt Wagner

The Santa Clara men's basketball team appeared happy to be back on campus against the Sacramento State Hornets as the Broncos cruised to a 51-32 victory, pulling the team's record back to .500 for the season at 4-4, Saturday night at the Leavey Center.

The home game was Santa Clara's first since Nov. 14, a stretch in which the team travelled over 8,000 miles playing a total of six games.

"We've got a lot of young guys going through a college season for the first time and when you get inaugurated from all that travel, it's difficult," said Santa Clara Head Coach Kerry Keating. "I was really happy we were able to get through this week winning all three games, especially after you get back home and we get to play in our own gym and sleep in our own beds."

John Bryant led the Broncos with 14 points and 15 rebounds on his way to another double-double. It is his 30th of his collegiate career and his sixth this season. The center also added six blocks in a game where the Broncos never trailed.

Loren Leath led the Hornets with 10 points.

Bryant set the tone just after the opening tip, taking a nice feed from Michael Santos and dunking it over a Sac State defender to give Santa Clara the first points of the game.

The difference in the game proved to be the Bronco's ability to attack the paint against the Hornets and control the game clock - 22 of Santa Clara's 27 points in the first half came from shots in the paint - thanks in large part to the team's six offensive rebounds which led to 10 second chance points.

"It's an effort game," said Bryant. "We just went out there and wanted it more. We prepared for (the game) for two days. They play hard so we've got to play harder. That's what the offensive rebounds come from, just playing harder and wanting it more."

By halftime the Broncos' had a comfortable 13-point lead, heading into the locker room with the score 27-14.

Santa Clara held the Hornets to a season-low 14 points in the first half.

Things got scary for the Broncos a minute into the second half when starting point guard Troy Alexander had to leave the game with an apparent shoulder injury.

Alexander was thrown hard to the ground while fighting over a loose rebound with a Sacramento State player and stayed down for several minutes. The team doctor and trainer attended to the freshman who eventually got up on his own accord before heading into the locker room.

Alexander did not return to the game and was taken to the hospital for precautionary x-rays, as team doctors labeled the injury as a left shoulder sprain, said Keating.

His expected return is undetermined at this point.

Despite Alexander's absence from the court, the team was able to cruise in the second half, maintaining at least a 13-point lead for the remainder of the game.

Freshman guard Kevin Foster hit three three-pointers in the second half to finish the night with 13 points, while fellow freshman James Rahon added eight.

The Broncos will be back in action on Dec. 13 when they host Notre Dame De Namur at 7 p.m. at the Leavey Center.

Contact Kurt Wagner at jwagner@scu.edu.