Santa Clara University’s men’s basketball team suffered its first defeat of the season in a close contest against Saint Louis University, falling 71-70 at the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Desert, California. The Broncos, who had started their season with six consecutive wins, led by as many as nine points in the second half before Saint Louis rallied to tie the game multiple times.
The matchup was notable for Santa Clara’s strong defensive effort against a high-scoring Saint Louis offense that had averaged 95.6 points per game entering the contest. The Broncos managed to hold them to just 71 points on 44 percent shooting. The teams were evenly matched on rebounds, each collecting 37, with Santa Clara holding a slight edge on offensive boards.
In the final minutes, Christian Hammond gave Santa Clara a late lead by converting three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt. Allen Graves added another point from the line to put the Broncos ahead 70-69 with less than ten seconds remaining. However, Saint Louis’ Kellen Thames scored what proved to be the winning basket with eight seconds left.
Santa Clara had one last opportunity to reclaim the lead but was unable to convert as Brenton Knapper’s shot missed in the closing moments.
Elijah Mahi led Santa Clara with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Graves contributed a season-high 13 points and three steals. Bukky Oboye tied his career high with six rebounds and added seven points along with two blocks. Hammond continued his streak of double-digit scoring games with 11 points.
The Broncos finished strong at the free throw line, making 18 out of 22 attempts but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just six of twenty-five shots. Despite this loss, Santa Clara has maintained halftime leads and has either won or tied in rebounding battles throughout all seven games this season.
Santa Clara will next face Minnesota in the third place game of the Acrisure Invitational, scheduled for tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. PT on truTV.
