San Francisco aims to end three-game home slide hosting Santa Clara

Christian Hammond’s 21 points in Santa Clara’s 88-73 victory over San Francisco on Jan. 29 set the stakes as the Dons hosted the Broncos in San Francisco on Feb. 20, 2026, with the program searching for a way to end a three-game home losing streak in West Coast Conference play. The game was scheduled for Saturday at 10 p.m. EST and carried immediate conference ramifications for both clubs.

Santa Clara arrived with a 22-6 overall record and a 13-2 mark in WCC play, ranking second in the league and averaging 83.7 points per game while shooting 47.4% as a team, according to Associated Press and Canadian Press data. The Broncos were 9-1 over their last 10 games, averaging 86.4 points, 32.4 rebounds and 15.2 assists in that stretch, and holding opponents to 72.8 points per game.

The Dons’ AP/Canadian Press lines listed San Francisco at 15-14 overall and 7-9 in the WCC, with a 9-5 record at home. San Francisco’s season defensive profile placed the Dons seventh in the conference, giving up 73.0 points per game and holding opponents to 44.2% shooting. Over their last 10 games the AP snapshot had the Dons 3-7, averaging 72.2 points, 29.0 rebounds and 12.7 assists while allowing 81.2 points per game.

Individual matchups underscored the contrast. AP listed guard Ryan Beasley at 13.4 points and 3.9 assists per game for San Francisco, while Legend Smiley had averaged 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games. For Santa Clara, Aleksandar Gavalyugov was shooting 36.4% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3s per game and 8.7 points, and Hammond was averaging 15.6 points over the past 10 games in AP’s figures.

The statistical gulf was stark on paper: AP noted that San Francisco averages 8.9 made 3-pointers per game, 2.3 more than the 6.6 three-pointers the Broncos allow, and that Santa Clara “averages 10.7 more points per game (83.7) than San Francisco allows to opponents (73.0).” That contrast framed the Dons’ need for defensive stops and perimeter discipline at their home venue.

Preseason and preview material from a separate KDH News AP-derived piece included alternate pregame figures: KDH News listed San Francisco as 14-13, 6-8 in conference play and gave Beasley 14.1 points and 3.6 assists, while offering a different last-10 snapshot for the Dons (3-7, averaging 73.3 points, 32.3 rebounds and 12.8 assists). Those KDH News lines were presented as an alternate dataset in the available reporting.

The Associated Press created its game preview using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar, with copyright noted as Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. An AP photo caption that appeared with syndicated previews noted Gonzaga guard Jalen Warley grabbing a rebound during the first half against San Francisco on Jan. 24, 2026 (AP Photo/Young Kwak).