SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Thomas van der Mars scored a career-high 28 points and Portland pulled away from a tied game in the second half to beat Santa Clara 76-64 on Saturday night.
Van der Mars shot 9 of 10 from the floor, was a perfect 10 of 10 from the free-throw line and added 11 rebounds to lead the Pilots (13-10, 5-6 West Coast Conference). Ryan Nicholas finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The score was tied up at 42, but a layup by Van der Mars sparked a 19-6 run that put the Pilots ahead 60-48 with 6:50 left on the clock. Portland held a 35-24 advantage on the glass for second-chance shots.
Jared Brownridge scored 20 for the Broncos (10-14, 3-8) and Jerry Brown and Brandon Clark added 11 each. Santa Clara, which fell to Gonzaga 54-52 on Wednesday, has lost six straight conference games.
