SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Wednesday was Adama-Alpha Bal's day. The Santa Clara University men's basketball junior forward celebrated his birthday in style, scoring a season-high 27 points on a career-high-tying six 3-pointers, leading the Broncos to a decisive 94-74 victory over Kennesaw State at the Leavey Center.
Bal's impressive performance was highlighted by 16 points coming from the second half alone. He managed to go 6 for 11 from beyond the arc, contributing to the Broncos' total of 11 made three-pointers, and also tied his season high with four assists. Fellow Bronco Tyeree Bryan added 14 points along with two 3-pointers, and Elijah Mahi, who also scored 14 points with one 3-pointer, supported the team well. Christoph Tilly chipped in with another 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals.
Kennesaw State (7-4) was led by Adrian Wooley who scored 25 points, with 23 of those coming during the second half. Wooley shot 7-for-9 from the field after halftime, showcasing his scoring ability but it wasn't enough to shift the momentum back to KSU.
The difference-maker for the Broncos was the Owls' staggering 23 turnovers, which Santa Clara capitalized on by scoring 31 points off those mistakes. Kennesaw State surrendered the ball 12 times during the first half alone, allowing Santa Clara to convert those turnovers to 16 points, sealing their lead with a 42-29 advantage by halftime.
Although both teams started the game struggling with their shooting, they found their rhythm as the game progressed. By the second half, Kennesaw State hit 63.6% of their shots, compared to Santa Clara’s 64.3%. This improvement brought KSU closer but not enough to close the gap, as Santa Clara maintained control.
Remarkably, KSU held the early lead, denying the Broncos any scoring opportunities for the first two minutes. It wasn't until Santa Clara's defense came alive, forcing Kennesaw State to miss nine consecutive shots over four minutes, enabling them to launch on a 12-2 run and take the lead, which they never relinquished.
Significantly, Wednesday's win marked the 560th of head coach Herb Sendek's career, tying him for 55th place on the all-time wins list alongside Jeff Jones, known for his successful coaching tenures.
Notably, the Broncos had four players scoring double digits during this contest, which marked the sixth time this season Santa Clara accomplished this feat. Their eye-catching score on Wednesday was just two points shy of their season-high of 96 against UC Riverside back on November 19.
The team also dominated the rebounding battle, finishing with 31 to Kennesaw State's 28 and garnering 13 second-chance points off of 11 offensive boards.
Santa Clara will carry this positive momentum forward as they head to their final non-conference game of the season against South Dakota, with the game scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. before they take a break for the Christmas holiday. Basketball fans can check SantaClaraBroncos.com for ticket purchases and live coverage links.
