Game Highlights and Post-Game Comments

LAS VEGAS – More often times than not, a loss in the WCC Championships brings an unwelcomed finality to a team's season. While a good night's sleep might not be in the cards for USF following a 76-69 loss to Santa Clara Saturday in Las Vegas, the Dons will at least have the satisfaction of waking up knowing they will have another game to play in sometime in March.
 
Despite a career-high 33 points from senior Ronnie Boyce, the Dons fell to Santa Clara in the quarterfinals of the WCC Championships, leaving the Dons' overall record at 20-12, which is certainly strong enough to merit postseason consideration on Selection Sunday.
 
Playing without the services of injured point guard Kevin Feagin, who averaged 24 points in the two games played against USF this season, the Broncos (17-15) used 10 three-pointers and 28 points from senior Jared Brownridge to win the rubber game of the series with USF and earn a date in Monday's semifinals. Senior Nate Kratch added 16, Jarvis Pugh 12 and Matt Hauser 10.
 
Boyce was the only USF player to reach double figures. He scored 26 of his career high 33 point after halftime, accounting for all but eight of USF's second half point total.
 
Matt McCarthy added nine while Charles Minlend and Frankie Ferrari finished with seven each for USF.
 
Many of the numbers favored USF, except for the one that matters the most. The Dons shot 50 percent on the night compared to Santa Clara which finished at 42.6 percent. USF had the better of it on the glass, 36-27 and made 19-of-26 free throws. Santa Clara, which leads the WCC in three-pointers made, nailed 10 of their 20 long distance tries on the night and also forced 19 Dons' turnovers to come away with a seven-point victory.
 
It was a grinder of a game most expected between these two longtime rivals, which were meeting for the 221st time on Saturday and for the eighth time in WCC Championship history.
 
Santa Clara built an early seven point lead but a slam by Charles Minlend followed by a Jordan Ratinho put back cut the lead to 14-11 with 11:37 left. On the Dons' next possession, Minlend completed a three-point play to tie the game at 14 and the game was still tied at 17-17 when the Dons went on an 8-0 run to open a 25-17 advantage. USF's lead was still eight at 29-21 but Santa Clara outscored the Dons 12-6 over the last 3:54 to cut the lead to 35-33 at the break.
 
A three-pointer by Pugh drew Santa Clara even at 41-41 midway through the second half and soon thereafter, a short jumper by Brownridge gave the Broncos a 43-42 lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the evening.
 
Santa Clara increased its lead to seven points at 59-52 with 4:33 left, but Boyce single handedly kept USF in the game by scoring the Dons last 21 points of the game. Boyce's three-pointer with 1:13 left brought the Dons to within one point at 64-63, but Brownridge immediately answered with a three-pointer on the other end to give Santa Clara a 67-63 lead with :42 left.
 
Santa Clara then held the Dons off at the line, making nine of their last 10 free throws to close the game.
 
"It was a typical WCC Tournament game between two old rivals," said USF head coach Kyle Smith after the game. "Their seniors stepped up and made big time plays, as did ours. Ronnie showed why he's an all-league player tonight. Usually, the team that makes the biggest plays in game's like this comes away with the victory and they made a lot of big plays when it mattered."
 
USF will return to the Bay Area tomorrow and will wait a week before learning its postseason fate. For a team with 13 underclassmen on a 15-man roster under the direction of a first-year head coach, the wait will be worthwhile.
 
"I'd be lying if I didn't say we exceeded expectations at least publicly," said Smith. "All we ever talked about was believing in ourselves and having a great attitude every day and we'd be amazed at what could happen."