No. 17 Saint Mary’s holds off Santa Clara 75-72 in WCC

By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Basketball Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tommy Kuhse scored 27 points, Logan Johnson hit two free throws with 3.6 seconds left after blocking a shot and No. 17 Saint Mary’s held off a late rally to beat Santa Clara 75-72 in the West Coast Conference tournament semifinals. The Gaels shut down one of the nation’s best-shooting teams for most of the night, building a 15-point lead. The Broncos came charging back, pulling within 73-71 on Keshawn Justice’s 3-pointer with 42 seconds left and got the ball back after Jalen Williams blocked Kuhse’s layup attempt. Williams then drove the lane in an attempt to give the Broncos the lead, but was blocked by Johnson.