Santa Clara defeats Pepperdine 82-63

Santa Clara Dominates Pepperdine in Conference Showdown

The Leavey Center was abuzz on Sunday night as the Santa Clara Broncos hosted their conference rival, the Pepperdine Waves, in a highly anticipated matchup. The Broncos emerged victorious, cruising to an 82-63 win over their visitors.

At halftime, the home team held a slim lead of 42-35, but it was clear that Santa Clara had the momentum on their side. In the second half, they continued to build upon this advantage, outscoring Pepperdine by 19 points in the final frame. The largest leads of the game were seen at 21 and 5 points.

Christian Hammond led the way for the Broncos with a standout performance, scoring 20 points on 50% shooting from the field. Bukky Oboye added 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists to round out Santa Clara's top performers.

Meanwhile, Pepperdine struggled to find their rhythm, particularly behind the arc where they converted just 1 of 5 three-point attempts. Yonatan Levy led the Waves with 12 points, while Styles Phipps added 9 points and 5 assists.

One key area where Santa Clara excelled was in their ability to score efficiently within the paint. They shot 50% from two-point range, compared to Pepperdine's 43.2%. This dominance allowed them to build a significant lead early on and maintain it throughout the game.

In contrast, the Waves struggled with turnovers, committing 19 against just 12 by the Broncos. This led to an imbalance in pace, as Santa Clara capitalized on their opponents' mistakes to fuel their own offense.

The win marks a crucial conference victory for Santa Clara, who improved to [insert ranking or record]. For Pepperdine, the loss represents a tough setback in their quest for a top-three finish in the league standings.