SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Interstat) — Christian Hammond scored 25 points to lead Santa Clara to a 62-54 victory over Saint Mary’s in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Leavey Center.

The Broncos improved to 16-5 overall after building a 32-25 halftime lead and holding off the Gaels, who fell to 17-3. Hammond, a guard from Denver, added two assists in 32 minutes for Santa Clara. Paulius Murauskas led Saint Mary’s with 12 points.

A crowd of 2,600 watched as Santa Clara’s defense limited Saint Mary’s scoring opportunities. The Broncos also received key contributions from Allen Graves with 11 points and Elijah Mahi with eight points. The teams will meet again in Moraga on Feb. 25.