SB Nation Bay Area - 2011 CIT College Basketball Tournament: Santa Clara Defeats Iona To Win 2011 CIT Championshiphttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48817/bayrea-fave.png2011-03-30T21:52:46-07:00http://bayarea.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18151992011-03-30T21:52:46-07:002011-03-30T21:52:46-07:00Santa Clara Broncos Win 2011 CIT Championship, Defeating Iona Gaels 76-69
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<p>The Santa Clara Broncos capped off a solid bounce back season, finishing 24-14 and winning the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. This was Santa Clara’s first ever postseason, non-conference tournament championship.</p>
<p>The 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> champions defeated the Iona Gaels 76-69 as they completed a veritable 180 degree turn from last season. The Broncos were 11-21 (3-11) last season but turned it around under fourth-year head coach Kerry Keating, finishing 24-14 (8-6).</p>
<p>The Broncos were once again led in scoring by sophomore guard Kevin Foster. However, Foster only scored 16 points as the Broncos put together a total team effort in the victory. They received double digit points from five players including Foster, Ben Dowdell (14 points), Marc Trasolini (12), Ray Cowels (11) and Michael Santos (10). Additionally, they received at least six rebounds from four different players.</p>
<p>Kevin Foster was named the tournament’s <span class="caps">MVP</span> as he averaged 25.4 points per game, with the last three wins coming on the road. The Broncos march through the tournament netted three all-tournament players including Foster, Troy Payne and Marc Trasolini.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/30/2082221/santa-clara-broncos-win-2011-cit-championship-defeating-iona-gaels-76David Fucillo2011-03-30T11:53:36-07:002011-03-30T11:53:36-07:00Santa Clara vs. Iona, 2011 CIT Championship Preview & TV Schedule: Broncos Look To Wrap Up Championship Season
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<p>The 2011 <span class="caps">NCAA</span> basketball season is coming to a close as postseason tournaments wrap-up over the next few days. The most notable are the <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/20/2062966/2011-ncaa-tournament-sweet-sixteen-bracket-schedule-predictions-results-cinderella" target="new">2011 Final Four</a> and the <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/california-golden-bears/2011/3/13/2049167/2011-nit-bracket-schedule-previews-recaps-cal-st-marys-basketball-get" target="new">2011 <span class="caps">NIT</span> Championship</a>, but the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament will also be wrapping up with a Bay Area participant. The 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> Championship game will feature the Santa Clara Broncos facing the Iona Gaels in New Rochelle, New York. The game will tip off at 5:00pm pacific on Fox College Sports.</p>
<p><span class="caps">ESPN</span> <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/pickcenter?gameid=310890314" target="new">ran over 10,000 simulations of the game</a> and the end result was an average score of Iona 78.9 – Santa Clara 70.2. The Gaels won 74.5% of the matchups. Given Iona is a <a href="http://oddsshark.com/ncaab/santa-clara-iona-odds-march-30-2011" target="new">9 1/2-point favorite</a> tonight, it’s not surprising the simulations have the Broncos losing most of the contests. Iona won “big” (10+ points) 48.1% of the time and “close” (4 or less points) 11.3% of the time. Santa Clara won big 8.4% of the time and close 9.2% of the time. I’m a little surprised the Broncos won big almost as frequently as they won close.</p>
<p>In the simulations leading Broncos scorer Kevin Foster was scoring 23.6 points per game, with the next leading scorers being Marc Trasolini with 13.8 points and Evan Roquemore getting 12.7 points. One of these guys will likely need to hit at least 30 points if the Broncos are going to spring the upset.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/30/2081195/santa-clara-vs-iona-2011-cit-championship-game-preview-tv-schedule-broncosDavid Fucillo2011-03-29T08:34:06-07:002011-03-29T08:34:06-07:002011 CIT Championship Game TV Schedule, Odds, Preview: Santa Clara Broncos vs. Iona Gaels
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<p>The 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament reaches its finale Wednesday night at 5:00pm as the Iona Gaels host the Santa Clara Broncos. The 2011 CIT Championship Game will be telecast on Fox College Sports, which includes channels 413, 414, and 415 in the Bay Area. The odds initially opened with Santa Clara as <a target="new" href="http://oddsshark.com/ncaab/santa-clara-iona-odds-march-30-2011">a ten point underdog</a>. Folks seem to be putting some money on Santa Clara, as the line has dropped to 9 1/2 points.</p>
<p>I had previously estimated the line would <a target="new" href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/26/2074411/2011-cit-tournament-bracket-semifinal-results-iona-east-tennessee-state-santa-clara-finals">open at about 6 1/2</a> but I underestimated the difference between the Gaels and the Broncos. While Santa Clara isn't a <strong><em>bad</em></strong> team, they are distinctly further down the totem pole than the Gaels. Ken Pomeroy rates SCU at <a target="new" href="http://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Santa%20Clara">No. 118 overall</a>, with the No. 84 offense and No. 190 defense. Iona is <a target="new" href="http://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Iona">rated 60th in the country</a> with the 22nd rated offense and 130th rated defense. If Santa Clara is going to spring the upset, they could need a monster effort from Kevin Foster. He's received solid help from the rest of the team, but he's been the leader these last few games.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/29/2078670/2011-cit-championship-game-tv-schedule-odds-preview-santa-clara-broncos-vs-iona-gaelsDavid Fucillo2011-03-26T18:58:35-07:002011-03-26T18:58:35-07:002011 CIT Tournament Bracket Semifinal Results: Iona Defeats East Tennessee State, Facing Santa Clara In Finals
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<p>The Iona Gaels road a strong second half to defeat the East Tennessee State Buccaneers 83-80 and advance to the 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> Championship Game. <span class="caps">ETSU</span> led Iona by six at halftime, but Iona handled their business in the second half to score the second road victory of the semifinals. Yesterday, the Santa Clara Broncos went on the road to defeat the Southern Methodist Mustangs. Iona will host Santa Clara next Wednesday at 5:00pm pacific for the third <span class="caps">CIT</span> championship.</p>
<p>We don’t have early odds posted yet as the Iona game only recently ended. As Iona will be hosting the championship game, I’d imagine the Gaels will be the early favorite. A look at <a href="http://kenpom.com/" target="new">Ken Pomeroy’s ratings</a> shows a further disparity between the two teams. 25-11 Iona is rated 61st, while Santa Clara is 118th. If I had to guess, I’d estimate Iona will open as a 6 1/2-point favorite.</p>
<p>The <span class="caps">CIT</span> is in its third year, with Missouri State winning last year and Old Dominion winning in 2009. Old Dominion has since won the <span class="caps">CAA</span> tournament two straight seasons to get into the <span class="caps">NCAA</span> tournament. Missouri State earned a berth in this year’s <span class="caps">NIT</span>.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/26/2074411/2011-cit-tournament-bracket-semifinal-results-iona-east-tennessee-state-santa-clara-finalsDavid Fucillo2011-03-25T19:02:37-07:002011-03-25T19:02:37-07:002011 CIT Tournament Bracket Semifinal Results: Santa Clara Destroys SMU 72-55, Advances To Championship Game
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<p>The Santa Clara Broncos continued their spirited postseason play as they went on the road and destroyed the Southern Methodist Mustangs 72-55 in the semifinals of the 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> postseason tournament. The Broncos were led by a dominant 35-point performance from sophomore guard Kevin Foster. Forward Troy Payne contributed 15 points to the winning effort as the Broncos dominated <span class="caps">SMU</span> in the second half en route to victory.</p>
<p>Santa Clara entered the game as a four point underdog and played accordingly, struggling for the first 15 minutes of the first half. With 5:38 to play, <span class="caps">SMU</span> led the Broncos 26-17 and seemed in control. However, Santa Clara went on a 15-4 run to close out the half, leading 32-30. <span class="caps">SMU</span> re-captured the lead early in the second half and led 51-46 with 9:15 to go. It was all downhill from there for the Mustangs. Santa Clara simply blew them up, going on a game-closing 26-4 run leading to their 72-55 victory.</p>
<p>The Broncos advance to the 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> final in which they will travel to the winner of Iona and Eastern Tennessee State University. The championship game will take place at 5:00pm pacific on March 30.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/25/2072806/2011-cit-tournament-bracket-semifinal-results-santa-clara-smu-southern-methodist-championship-gameDavid Fucillo2011-03-25T09:37:35-07:002011-03-25T09:37:35-07:002011 CIT Tournament Bracket Semifinals Preview, Odds: Santa Clara vs. Southern Methodist University
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<p>The 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament returns with the semifinals today and tomorrow. The 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> semifinals feature the Santa Clara Broncos traveling to face the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Iona Gaels traveling to face the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. Santa Clara and <span class="caps">SMU</span> meet today at 5:00pm pacific, while Iona and <span class="caps">ETSU</span> meet tomorrow at 11:00am pacific. The winners meet on March 30 in the 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> Championship game.</p>
<p><span class="caps">SMU</span> is currently a <a href="http://oddsshark.com/ncaab/santa-clara-southern-methodist-odds-march-25-2011" target="new">four point favorite</a> over the Broncos. AccuScore ran over <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/pickcenter?gameid=310842567" target="new">10,000 simulations of the game</a> resulting in <span class="caps">SMU</span> winning 67.9% of the time, and by an average of 68.6 to 62.8. <span class="caps">SMU</span> covers the spread 58.2% of the time.</p>
<p>If the Broncos are going to spring the upset, it will likely require a strong team effort. Kevin Foster is the team’s leading scorer, but in their run through the 2011CIT they’ve received strong efforts from the rest of the team. Foster has been a key contributor, but Santa Clara has proven the importance of the team game.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/25/2071780/2011-cit-tournament-bracket-semifinals-preview-odds-santa-clara-vs-southern-methodist-smuDavid Fucillo2011-03-23T06:33:54-07:002011-03-23T06:33:54-07:002011 CIT Tournament Bracket Results, Schedule: Santa Clara Defeats San Francisco In A Shootout
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<p>The Santa Clara Broncos pulled out a 95-91 victory over the San Francisco Dons to advance to the semifinals of the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> semifinals will feature Santa Clara traveling to <span class="caps">SMU</span> on Friday March 25, and Iona traveling to East Tennessee State on Saturday March 26. The winners of those games will square off in the 2011 <span class="caps">CIT</span> Championship on March 30.</p>
<p>The Broncos received huge efforts from Evan Roquemore and Kevin Foster. Roquemore had 30 points and Foster had 27 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Troy Payne had 12 points and 9 rebounds. San Francisco came up short in spite of strong efforts across the board. Angelo Caloiaro had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Rashad Green had 19 points, and Cody Doolin had 18 points and 10 assists.</p>
<p>The Dons wrap up their season at 19-15. They began the 2010-2011 season at 4-9, but proceeded to go 15-5 prior to last night’s loss. Next year’s Dons could be fearsome in a revamped <span class="caps">WCC</span> (adding <span class="caps">BYU</span>) as they return almost their entire roster. Barring transfers, the only player they lose is Moustapha Diarra who averaged 7.8 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game. While they might not be a national title contender in 2011-2012, the <span class="caps">USF</span> Dons will be a force in the West Coast Conference.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/23/2067265/2011-cit-tournament-bracket-results-schedule-santa-clara-defeats-sanDavid Fucillo2011-03-22T05:00:48-07:002011-03-22T05:00:48-07:002011 CIT Basketball Tournament Bracket Schedule, Odds: San Francisco Hosts Santa Clara
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<p>The 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament has reached its quarterfinals, and one of the four matchups scheduled in the bracket features a Bay Area battle. The 2011 CIT will see the University of San Francisco Dons host the Santa Clara University Broncos, with a spot in the CIT semifinals on the line. The game takes place at 7:00pm pacific tonight at War Memorial Gymnasium.</p>
<p>The Dons enter this game off an upset road victory over the Hawaii Warriors. The Dons were six point underdogs but made a <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/20/2061932/2011-cit-basketball-tournament-bracket-results-san-francisco-stuns" target="new">strong comeback late to get the victory</a>. The victory improved them to 19-14 on the season. The Broncos had <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/19/2059752/2011-cit-basketball-tournament-results-santa-clara-rolls-air-force" target="new">little trouble in a home victory</a> over the Air Force Falcons, which improved them to 21-14 on the season. Although Santa Clara has the better record, USF swept the season series, finished higher in the WCC standings, and has a better RPI.</p>
<p>The Dons are a slim <a target="new" href="http://oddsshark.com/ncaab/santa-clara-san-francisco-odds-march-22-2011">2 1/2-point favorite</a>. USF is 19-10-1 against the spread this year, while Santa Clara is 13-15-2. The Dons had a tough time in non-conference play but turned things around with an impressive effort in WCC play. They are led in scoring by MIchael Williams (14.9 PPG) and Rashad Green (12.3 PPG) and in rebounding by Perris Blackwell (6.9 RPG) and Angelo Caloiaro (7.2 RPG). The Broncos are led in scoring by Kevin Foster (19.7 PPG) and in rebounding by Marc Trasolini (6.1 RPG).</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/3/22/2065074/2011-cit-basketball-tournament-bracket-schedule-odds-san-francisco-santa-claraDavid Fucillo