WCC Basketball Tournament Central | Bracket

VIDEO: Sendek, Caruso Talk Loss to Pepperdine

LAS VEGAS – Santa Clara men's basketball was not able to carry the momentum into a third-straight day at the University Credit Union West Coast Conference Tournament.

Colbey Ross posted a double-double with 25 points and 12 assists, and Kessler Edwards also had a double-double by scoring 21 and pulling down 11 rebounds, to help No. 4 seed Pepperdine hold on for a 78-70 victory over the Broncos on Saturday.

Guglielmo Caruso tallied 16 points and Josip Vrankic (15 points/10 rebounds) and Jalen Williams (13 points/10 rebounds) each produced double-doubles but it was not enough for seventh-seeded Santa Clara (12-8) which shot 41 percent from the floor, including just 3-for-20 from behind the 3-point line, and struggled from the free-throw line.

In a game with seven lead changes in the first half, Pepperdine (12-11) started to pull away early in the second half and led 72-54 on a basket by Jade' Smith with 5:42 remaining, but that was the team's final field goal of the game.

Santa Clara scored 16 of the next 18 points with Jalen Williams as the catalyst by scoring seven.

Giordan Williams' 3-pointer cut the deficit to 74-68 with 2:26 remaining and Vrankic made it a four-point spread with 50 seconds left by making one of two free throws.

But Ross was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and made both free throws as well as two more to ice the game.

Santa Clara was only 13 of 22 (59 percent) from the free-throw line with leading scorer Vrankic going 5-for-12.

The Broncos controlled the interior (34 to 20 points in the paint), but Pepperdine was more efficient from the outside with Ross consistently finding his teammates in matching his career-high in assists.

Edwards was 9-for-15 from the field. He and Zidek each hit three 3-pointers.

The Waves shot 44 percent from the field, including 9-for-27 from behind the 3-point line. They also hit 17 of 21 from the free-throw line.

Santa Clara, which matched a season-low with only eight turnovers, had averaged 88.0 points on 57 percent shooting from the floor in tournament wins Thursday over Portland and Friday against Pacific.

"There is no question our guys didn't have the same fuel in the tank playing the third consecutive game against the quality of opponents we had," Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek said. "At the same time, you have to give Pepperdine a lot of credit. They are an outstanding team. We don't want to take anything away from their outstanding play and effort."

After hitting 46 percent from the floor in the opening half to lead by as much as seven with Caruso contributing 10 points with a number of postup moves, the Broncos cooled off in the second half. They made only three of their first 10 field goal attempts following intermission.

Santa Clara was eliminated from the tournament for the third time in the last four years by Pepperdine.

The Broncos finish a season in which there was a seven-week relocation to Santa Cruz, California, and 15 games either postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Just a tremendous group of young men and even tonight continued to show a lot of heart and character," Sendek said. "I have a very grateful heart for them and couldn't be prouder of a team with everything they had to contend with this year. If you made a list it would cause you to shake your head."

NOTES
• The Broncos hold an 80-63 lead, including wins in seven of the last 11, in a series that began in 1956. Santa Clara has captured the last seven regular season meetings, but the Waves won in the opening round of the 2018 WCC Tournament and in last year's second round. Pepperdine has won five of the eight all-time meetings in the tourney.
• Jalen Williams recorded his first-career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. He ended the season scoring in double figures in eight of the last nine games.
• Josip Vrankic (15 points/10 rebounds) recorded his 18th career double-double, including eighth this season. He entered the game tied for first in the WCC in that category.
• Guglielmo Caruso (16) had his ninth double-digit scoring output of the season. Six of those occurred in the last nine games.

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