SANTA CLARA — The dunk was full of power. The response was full of vitriol.

With roughly a minute left in regulation, Santa Clara guard Brenton Knapper connected with forward Allen Graves, who was already streaking to the rim. Graves took one dribble, leapt, cocked back his right arm and unfurled a one-handed slam on the head of Utah Tech’s Chance Trujillo. It was the type of dunk that elicited every viable adjective, from mean to vicious to nasty.

The first wave of oohs and aahs was for the dunk. The second wave was for Trujillo’s response, a punch that connected with Graves’s face that ignited a late-game kerfuffle and ended with Trujillo being ejected. It was the defining moment of Santa Clara’s 90-80 victory over Utah Tech, a victory that gives the team an 8-1 record for the first ti

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