SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Jarvis Pugh had 20 points and nine rebounds and Santa Clara rallied past Northern Arizona in Friday night's season opener to give head coach Herb Sendek a 67-64 victory in his debut with the Broncos.
Santa Clara led 65-59 with 29 seconds to go and held on to win as host of the 50th Annual Cable Car Classic. Jared Brownridge added 14 points, six rebounds and six assists.
The Broncos pushed in front with a 14-3 run early in the second half after trailing by 12 late in the first. Santa Clara took the lead for good on Kai Healy's layup at 54-53 with 5:05 to play. Healy finished with 10 points.
Jaleni Neely led the Lumberjacks with 18 points and Jordyn Martin and Mike Green added 14 apiece.
Santa Clara plays UC Davis and Northern Arizona faces Tennessee State on Saturday, and they conclude the three-day classic with the opposite opponents Sunday.
