SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Interstat) — The Santa Clara Broncos, leveraging a dominant first-half performance and a standout night from guard Christian Hammond, cruised to an 82-63 victory over the Pepperdine Waves in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball game Friday night at a sparsely attended Leavey Center.

A crowd of 1,158 saw the Broncos (12-4, 1-0 WCC) seize control early and never relent, building a 42-35 halftime lead before methodically extending it after the break. The Waves (5-11, 0-1) struggled to find consistent offensive flow against Santa Clara’s defensive pressure and could not mount a serious challenge in the second half.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded late in the first half. After Pepperdine’s Yonatan Levy hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 11-11, Santa Clara unleashed a decisive 31-12 run over the final 14 minutes of the period. The surge was fueled by defensive stops and balanced scoring. Elijah Mahi and Sash Gavalyugov connected from beyond the arc, and Hammond began to find his rhythm with driving layups. The Broncos’ interior defense, anchored by 7-foot-1 center Bukky Oboye, disrupted Pepperdine’s attempts at the rim, leading to transition opportunities.

Hammond, a junior from Denver, Colorado, led all scorers with 20 points in just 31 minutes, adding two assists and a steal. His scoring was efficient and timely, often halting brief Waves momentum. He was complemented by Oboye, who recorded a double-double with 13 points and three blocks, and Mahi, who added 15 points and three assists. The Broncos’ ball movement and interior presence proved too much, as they outscored Pepperdine in the paint and capitalized on 14 Waves turnovers.

Pepperdine was led by Danilo Dozic of Belgrade, Serbia, who scored 12 points, and Yonatan Levy of Hod HaSharon, Israel, who also added 12. Point guard Styles Phipps from Phoenix, Arizona, distributed five assists but was held to nine points on a night where the Waves’ shooting never found a sustained rhythm. The team’s recent struggles continued, marking their third consecutive loss following defeats to conference powers Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.

Santa Clara, meanwhile, continued its strong start to the season, winning its third straight game and opening conference play on a positive note. The Broncos’ depth was on display, with nine players logging significant minutes and contributors like Brenton Knapper (nine points, three assists) and Jake Ensminger (eight points) making impacts off the bench.

The game’s outcome was rarely in doubt after the first ten minutes. Pepperdine’s last lead came at 8-5 following a Pavle Stosic three-pointer. Santa Clara responded with a 7-0 run and never trailed again. The Waves managed to keep the deficit in single digits for much of the first half, but the Broncos’ closing run provided a cushion that only grew after halftime. Any attempt by Pepperdine to string together stops and scores was answered, often by Hammond or a defensive play from Oboye.

The second half saw Santa Clara maintain its intensity, opening with a quick score from Hammond and a dunk from Oboye to push the lead to 13. Pepperdine could not cut the deficit below double digits for the final 16 minutes of the game, as the Broncos’ lead ballooned to as many as 21 points before settling at the final 19-point margin.

Statistically, Santa Clara’s advantages were clear. The Broncos shot a higher percentage from the field, from three-point range, and from the free-throw line. They also won the rebounding battle and scored more points off turnovers, underlining a comprehensive performance.

The victory sets up an early-season conference showdown for Santa Clara, which will host San Diego on Sunday before a pivotal road test at Gonzaga next Thursday. Pepperdine, seeking to end its skid, travels to face Pacific on Sunday.