SPOKANE, Wash. — In an unforgettable matchup on Saturday night, Tyeree Bryan shone bright for Santa Clara, sinking seven shots from beyond the arc and amassing a career-high 35 points. His stellar performance propelled Santa Clara to a thrilling 103-99 victory over the No. 16 Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Adding to the Broncos’ success, Adama Ball contributed 20 points, while Christoph Tilly tallied 17 points, helping Santa Clara improve their record to 13-7 overall and 5-2 in the West Coast Conference. This win marks a significant turnaround for the Broncos, especially after they had just experienced a narrow overtime loss to Oregon State earlier in the week.

Conversely, Gonzaga, now at 14-6 and also 5-2 in the conference, faced a rare setback as they suffered their second consecutive conference loss, marking the first time this has happened since the 2013-14 season. Nolan Hickman was the standout for the Bulldogs, scoring 24 points and hitting six of his own 3-pointers. Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard added further contributions with 21 and 16 points, respectively, with Nembhard also dishing out 15 assists.

The game saw the Broncos making a significant surge with an 11-1 run late in the first half. However, Hickman responded robustly for Gonzaga, scoring seven of his team’s points as they managed to take a 45-44 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Santa Clara’s momentum really gained traction as Bryan and Ball combined to land five 3-pointers within the first seven minutes, allowing the Broncos to vault ahead. They maintained their lead and stretched it to as many as 13 points with just over four minutes left on the clock.

Key takeaways reveal a notable contrast for Santa Clara; following a disappointing 54-point game against Loyola Marymount, the Broncos fared much better, notching 103 points against the Bulldogs. For Gonzaga, this defeat was particularly significant as it marked their first loss of the season at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

The critical moment of the game came with Bryan and Ball’s explosive shots that turned the tide, establishing a lead the Broncos held onto fiercely. A standout statistic from the night highlights Santa Clara’s shooting prowess as they set a new season high with 18 three-pointers, achieving an impressive shooting percentage of 47.4% from beyond the arc.

Looking ahead, Gonzaga is set to travel to Portland for their next game on Saturday, while Santa Clara will host Washington State on Thursday.