MALIBU, Calif. – Colbey Ross posted 23 points, including 16 in the opening half, to lead four players in double figures for Pepperdine which never trailed in a 91-77 victory over Santa Clara men's basketball on Thursday.
Kameron Edwards had 16 points and nine rebounds, Skylar Chavez scored 16 and Kessler Edwards added 12 for the Waves (13-11, 6-4 West Coast Conference) who shot 50 percent from the floor to win for the fourth time in five outings.
Jaden Bediako had a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds and Tahj Eaddy came off the bench to score 18 for the Broncos (18-7, 5-5).
Pepperdine led by 15 just more than 5 minutes into the second half before the Broncos made a push. They chopped the advantage to eight points twice, including 63-55 on a layup by Josip Vrankic, but the Waves scored seven of the next eight points and the lead grew to 79-61 with 7:35 left.
Ross had nine of the team's 21 assists and went 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Pepperdine, which led for all but 2 minutes early with the game was tied twice, went 22 of 25 from the free-throw line and Santa Clara was just 13-for-22.
Vrankic had 11 points for the Broncos shot 45 percent from the floor in the game, but only 37 percent in the opening half.
After trailing by as many as 12 in the first 10 minutes, the Broncos pulled within 30-28 on a 3-pointer from Vrankic with 5:36 left in the first half. But the Waves scored next 10 points in just more than 1 minute of action as Ross nailed a pair of 3-pointers.
Ross had eight of the team's final 10 points of the half.
NOTES
• The Broncos hold a 79-62 lead, including wins in six of the last nine, in a series that began in 1956. Santa Clara had captured the last six regular-season meetings until dropping both games this season. Pepperdine won 90-86 in overtime on Jan. 23 in Santa Clara. That win snapped a 17-game home-winning streak for the Broncos. Santa Clara had won five of the previous seven, including three in a row, at Pepperdine.
• The Broncos played without starting forward Guglielmo Caruso (lower right leg) for the 10th-straight game. The sophomore was injured against Alcorn State (Dec. 29) and was ruled out indefinitely.
• The Broncos nailed 10 of 22 from the behind the 3-point line. They entered the game 7-0 this season when connecting on 10 or more 3-pointers.
• Pepperdine's 88.0 free-throw percentage (22 of 25) was a season-best for an opponent. The Waves entered the game ranked third in the nation in that category (80.2 percent).
• Jaden Bediako (19 points/nine rebounds) was just one rebound shy of his second career double-double. He had 11 points and 10 rebounds at Gonzaga (Jan. 16, 2020). He set a career-high in points for the second-straight game (13 vs. Portland on Feb. 1).
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The Broncos are off until Thursday when they face San Francisco at home. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
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