GETTING INSIDE
Santa Clara has become even younger since the loss of its best player, Kevin Foster, who broke his foot on Dec. 1, and, not surprisingly, the Broncos have been inconsistent as a result.
The Broncos have the benefit of being in the midst of an eight-game homestand, which will help a team that is starting three freshmen, and they have had moments when they look as if they could develop into a pretty good team by the end of the season.
The close loss to UNLV on Dec. 5 and the Dec. 21 victory over Pacific, which avenged an earlier 27-point loss to the Tigers, were examples of that.
But they also have had moments when they seemed lost, nearly falling to Dominican on Dec. 11 and letting a double-digit lead in the second half slip away in a home game against San Jose State on Dec. 23.
It may continue that way all season for coach Kerry Keating, who seems to have settled on a starting lineup, at least for the time being.
The main problem is that, without Foster, the Broncos don’t have many offensive weapons, and their freshman guards, Ray Cowels and Robert Smith, have poor shooting percentages.
It leaves little room for error.
The Broncos need to play top-notch defense and limit their turnovers to win.
They played outstanding defense for the first 24 minutes against San Jose State, building a 10-point lead, but then the defensive intensity disappeared and the Spartans scored an avalanche of points in the final 16 minutes.
“We played much better in the first half,” Santa Clara coach Kerry Keating said. “Our transition defense in the second half was awful, and instead of defending the ball in the second half, we fouled them and sent them to the line.
“We let them score 49 points in the second half, including 45 in the last 16 minutes. We have to have a better effort on defense than that and respond better on offense.”
NOTES, QUOTES
• Santa Clara is 3-3 since the loss of Kevin Foster because of a broken foot, perhaps for the season.
• Santa Clara’s game against San Jose State was the 100th meeting of the teams located about 20 minutes apart.
• Santa Clara will host the 43rd Cable Car Classic on Dec. 29-30.
January At A Glance: The Broncos play their final two games of December and their first four games of January at home, which is particularly important for a team that starts three freshmen and a sophomore. The Broncos are 4-3 on their home floor, but they have played pretty well at home. The Jan. 4 home game against a good Harvard team is Santa Clara’s final game before West Coast Conference play begins, and that could be a pivotal contest. The Broncos need to play well in that game, even if they don’t win.
Quote To Note: “Right now, Robert Smith and Ray Cowels are playing too many minutes, and part of that is the loss of Kevin Foster. But we have to get other players to step up and play better to take some of that time on the court.”—Santa Clara coach Kerry Keating, after the Dec. 23 loss to San Jose State.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: The Broncos began playing well late in November and early in December, when they beat Fresno State and UC Santa Barbara in consecutive games. Then Kevin Foster, the team’s leading scorer, was sidelined because of a broken foot, and the team has been up-and-down since. The Broncos were 7-6 after a Dec. 23 loss to San Jose State, a home game Santa Clara probably should have won. The Broncos are starting two freshmen, Robert Smith and Ray Cowels, in the backcourt, and that leads to inconsistent play.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—G Robert Smith, F Marc Trasolini, F Niyi Harrison, F Raymond Cowels, G Troy Payne. Key Subs—F Ben Dowdell, G Troy Alexander, G Michael Santos.
Game Review:
Rice 70, Santa Clara 57
Santa Clara 54, Pacific 53
San Jose State 74, Santa Clara 68
Game Preview:
vs. Northeastern, Tuesday, Dec. 29
vs. Kent State or Wofford, Wednesday, Dec. 30
vs. New Hampshire, Saturday, Jan. 2
vs. Harvard, Monday, Jan. 4
vs. San Diego, Friday, Jan. 8
In Focus: The Broncos have a chance to win the Cable Car Classic they host, and that would do wonders for the confidence of the young team. Northeastern will not be a pushover despite its 3-7 record because it has played several close games against pretty good competition. If Santa Clara wins, it would play the winner of the Wofford-Kent State game, which is a tossup. Wofford has a standout forward, Noah Dahlman, who would offer a defensive challenge to Santa Clara’s Troy Payne, while Kent State has a more balanced team, which might cause the Broncos more problems.
Roster Report:
• F Marc Trasolini made two free throws with 12 seconds left to give Santa Clara its one-point victory over Pacific on Dec. 21.
• Freshman F Chris Cunningham started four consecutive games between Nov. 28 and Dec. 11, but he did not start any of the next four, and his playing time diminished considerably. He played no more than five minutes in any of the last four games as of Dec. 27.
• Freshman G Robert Smith was added to the Watch List for the Cousy Award, which goes to the nation’s top point guard. Gonzaga’s Matt Bouldin is the only other WCC player on the list.
