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Santa Clara Begins WCC Season With Loss To Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (CBS / AP) -- Ryan Nicholas scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Portland broke a seven-game losing streak with an 84-74 victory over Santa Clara Thursday night.

David Carr, Nemanja Mitrovic and Tim Douglas each added 11 points for the Pilots (4-11, 1-1 West Coast), who had lost 11 of their previous 12 games. Niyi Harrison scored 19 points and Brandon Clark had 16 to lead the Broncos (8-6, 0-1).

The Pilots' biggest lead was 64-43 with 6:52 to play. Santa Clara got within 78-71 but with just 24 seconds remaining.

The Pilots, who had a 44-27 advantage on the boards, led by 18 on three occasions in the first half. They were spurred by 59 percent shooting in the half while the Broncos made just 24 percent of their shots. Portland finished at 51 percent from the field while the Broncos made 39 percent.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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