NCAA Game Summary - Gonzaga at Santa Clara
02.1.2004
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Santa Clara, CA (Basketball News) - Blake Stepp poured in 21 points to go with eight assists as 10th-ranked Gonzaga overcame a three-point halftime deficit to defeat Santa Clara, 79-63, in West Coast Conference action at the Leavey Center.
Cory Violette added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs (17-2, 7-0 WCC), who remained unbeaten in conference play. Kyle Bankhead chipped in with 12, going 4-for-7 from three-point range.
"The top 25 went down today," Violette said, noting that three other top-10 teams lost earlier Saturday. "Before we came down here, we said ’We’re not going to do that.’"
Travis Niesen and Doron Perkins tallied 11 apiece for the Broncos (12-10, 4-3), losers of six straight to their conference foe.
"In a tough road environment, to dig out a win against a team that wanted a piece of us, we’re ecstatic," remarked Gonzaga head coach Mark Few.
Gonzaga opened up the second half with six straight points, sparked by a Bankhead three, to take its first lead of the game at 42-38.
Kyle Bailey’s three followed a layin by Jordan Legge, putting the Broncos back on top, momentarily, at 43-42 less than four minutes into the second. They were up 46-44 until Ronny Turiaf’s three-point play put Gonzaga out front by one. Stepp followed with four straight points to finish off the 7-0 spurt that gave the Zags the lead for good at 51-46 just past the 14-minute mark.
Leading 62-57, Gonzaga buried threes on three straight possessions as part of an 11-0 run to take command. Violette’s layup with four minutes left closed out the stretch with Bulldogs ahead 73-57.
The Broncos led virtually the entire first half, by as much as seven in the early going. They were up 13-6 five minutes in before Gonzaga ran off seven straight points to even it back up.
Ahead 31-28, Santa Clara scored eight of the next 12 points to take a 38-32 advantage with 1:37 left. The Bulldogs answered with back-to-back buckets as Violette’s put back dunk closed out the first-half scoring at 38-36.
Santa Clara shot just 36 percent from the field and turned the ball over 14 times, leading to 19 Gonzaga points.
