Kyle Bailey scored 18 points Sunday to lead Santa Clara (6-9/1-1) to an 84-73 West Coast Conference win over Portland (4-12/0-2), sending the Pilots to their eighth straight loss.
Four Broncos scored in double figures, seven players had at least six points, and 10 of the 12 players scored. Seven Pilots played 197 of the 200 possible minutes.
Casey Frandsen had a game-high 21 points to lead Portland, while Coky Rochin had his seventh consecutive double-double - and 11th of the season - with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Portland made up a 42-35 halftime deficit, eventually taking a 58-56 lead with 12:05 remaining in the game after Ross Jorgusen hit a pair of free throws, but the Broncos responded with an 11-0 run over the next 2:30, and then kicked the lead up to 74-61 after five straight points from Steve Ross.
Santa Clara then closed out the game by hitting 9-of-13 free throws in the final three minutes. Bailey was only 6-of-16 from the field, but hit 4-of-5 free throws, grabbed nine rebounds, had six assists and three steals. Ross added 15 points and six rebounds, while Jordan Legge had 13 points and six rebounds. Justin Holbrook contributed 11 points off the bench, including a trio of 3-pointers.
The Broncos outrebounded the Pilots 45-36, and nailed 20-of-27 free throws. Portland managed to hit 11-of-15 free throws, but seemingly every time the Pilots made a run at the Broncos, a Santa Clara player hit a 3-pointer. Indeed, the Broncos hit three straight 3-pointers in the 11-0 second half run that opened the game up.