Preview: Santa Clara Looks to Extend Win Streak at Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Santa Clara Broncos, riding a wave of momentum, visit the Portland Pilots on Tuesday night in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball matchup at the Chiles Center.

Santa Clara (10-4) enters on a high note after a dominant 102-64 road victory over Oregon State on Sunday. The Broncos have won two straight and three of their last four, showcasing a potent offense that has averaged 82 points over that stretch.

Portland (7-7) seeks to rebound from a narrow 67-62 home loss to Washington State, also on Sunday. The Pilots have struggled recently, dropping four of their last five games.

A key matchup will feature Santa Clara guard Elijah Mahi against Portland’s Joel Foxwell. Mahi is coming off a 23-point performance against Oregon State and has scored 17 or more points in five of his last six games, averaging 19.2 points during that span. His scoring burst has been vital for the Broncos.

Foxwell, the Pilots’ floor general, is a consistent distributor. He dished out 15 assists in a win over Kent State on Dec. 14 and averages 7.6 assists over his last five contests. While his scoring can fluctuate, his ability to create for teammates is central to Portland’s attack.

Santa Clara’s recent success has been bolstered by balanced contributions. Alongside Mahi, Jake Ensminger and Brenton Knapper each added 13 points in the win over Oregon State.

For Portland, Mikah Ballew provides a secondary scoring option, pairing 15 points with Foxwell’s 15 in the loss to Washington State.

Historically, the road team has won the last two meetings in this series. The Broncos will aim to continue that trend and improve their conference standing, while the Pilots look to defend their home court and level their season record.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST. Following this game, Santa Clara opens a homestand against Pepperdine on Friday, while Portland begins a two-game road trip at Saint Mary’s.