With Marc Trasolini scoring 16 points and three other Broncos hitting double figures, Santa Clara went on to defeat Pepperdine 62-54. Santa Clara moves to 11-17, including 3-8 in the WCC and Pepperdine is now 7-19 and 3-7 in the WCC.
"We have not won a home game in a while so this was a good one for us and we avenged the loss down there, said Bronco Head Coach Kerry Keating. "We didn't do a good enough job rebounding tonight but we did out rebound them our freshman have to realize they can't let past events in the game affect us.
Keating added, "Robert Smith pressed a little in the first half with five turnovers and had none in the second half and I was proud of his effort."
Santa Clara shot 47.7 percent from the field, including 27.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Broncos collected 39 rebounds, nine steals and two blocks with 18 turnovers. Pepperdine shot 34.5 percent from the field, including 27.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Waves collected 28 rebounds, six steals, three blocks with 13 turnovers.
Trasolini finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Robert Smith finished with 12 points. Niyi Harrison and Ray Cowels finished with 11 points and four rebounds each.
Pepperdine's Keion Bell finished with 25 points and five rebounds. Mychel Thompson finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
To start the game, Thompson knocked down a three at 18:24 and Taylor Darby's jumper at 18:06 put Pepperdine in front early 5-0. Harrison hit two free throws for the Broncos at 15:24 to cut the Wave's lead to 7-4.
Cowels hit a three at 14:50 to tie the score at seven but Thompson responded with another three at 13:06 to put the Waves back in the lead. Cowels knocked down a three at 11:36 to cut Pepperdine's lead to 13-11.
Bell responded and nailed threes at 11:08 and 10:00 to extend Pepperdine's lead to 19-12. Back-to-back baskets by Trasolini and Smith cut the Wave's lead to 19-16 with 7:51 remaining.
Michael Santos hit two free throws at 4:56 to cut the score to 23-22. Trasolini's basket at 3:47 put the Broncos in the lead, 24-23, for the first time in the game. Bell hit a three at 2:06 to put the Waves in the lead 29-26, but Cowels responded with a three of his own at 1:43 to tie the score at 29. The score at the half was 31-31.
Harrison's basket at 17:25 put the Broncos in the lead, 35-33, for the first time in the second half. A bucket by Santos and a free throw by Smith put the Broncos in front 38-35. Troy Payne's layup at 15:32 extended the Bronco's lead to five.
Smith converted a three-point-play at 11:49 to put the Broncos in the lead 45-36. Two free throws by Lorne Jackson at 11:07 and a three by Thompson cut the Broncos lead to 45-43 with 10:32 remaining.
Thompson made a free throw for Pepperdine, to cut the score to 45-44. Harrison responded with a fast-break dunk at 8:43 to put the Broncos in the lead 47-44.
Trasolini completed a three-point-play at 5:47 to put the Broncos in front 54-45. Bell hit four consecutive free throws for the Waves from 5:41 to 5:03 to cut the Bronco's lead to 54-49. Santos responded with a jumper at 4:34 to put Santa Clara in front 56-49.
Bell made a free throw at 2:38 and converted a layup at 1:53 to cut Santa Clara's lead to 58-52. Santos hit two free throws for the Broncos at 1:16 to extend the lead to 60-52. Smith hit two free throws for the Broncos with 21 seconds remaining to push the lead to 62-54.
