UAA Athletics

Late burst carries Idaho past Santa Clara and into Shootout semifinals

The Idaho Vandals scored the final 14 points of the game to rally past Santa Clara 69-59 Wednesday in a first-round game of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout.

Victor Sanders scored 10 of his game-high 24 points in the final four minutes to lead the Vandals, who will play in Friday's semifinal round against the winner of Wednesday's late game between UAA and Cal State-Bakersfield.

Santa Clara took a 59-55 lead on a K.J. Feagin layup with 5 minutes, 13 seconds remaining, but the Broncos didn't score again for the rest of the game.

Sanders, a 6-foot-5 senior, ignited Idaho (2-1) by scoring eight unanswered points, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to put his team in the lead for good. After hitting a pair of free throws, he swished a 3-pointer at 3:08 to give the Vandals the lead for good, 60-59.

Perrion Callandret chipped in 20 points and seven assists and Brayton Blake added eight points and nine rebounds for Idaho.

Santa Clara (1-2) was led by Feagin's 18 points, six assists and four rebounds. Henry Caruso added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists.

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