SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — A surging Santa Clara squad looks to continue its climb in the West Coast Conference when it visits a San Diego team seeking payback on Saturday at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

The Broncos (16-5), winners of seven of their last eight, have established themselves as a conference contender. Their lone loss in that stretch came on the road against powerhouse Gonzaga. They have been dominant at home, including a 98-70 rout of these same Toreros just three weeks ago on Jan. 4.

Santa Clara is led by guard Christian Hammond, who torched San Diego for 21 points in the previous meeting. He enters hot, coming off a 25-point performance in a 62-54 win over Saint Mary’s last Saturday. Over his last eight games, Hammond is averaging 16.1 points.

The Toreros (9-12) have been inconsistent but are buoyed by a major upset in their last outing, a 96-92 victory over Washington State on Wednesday. Dynamic guard Ty-Laur Johnson powered that win with 28 points and seven assists. Johnson, who scored 21 against Santa Clara in January, has been a bright spot, averaging 20.4 points over his last seven contests.

San Diego will need another stellar performance from Johnson and improved defense to reverse the earlier result. The Toreros allowed Santa Clara to shoot 56% from the field in the January matchup. Containing Hammond and a balanced Broncos attack that has scored 85 or more points in five of its last eight games will be the primary challenge.

For Santa Clara, the game represents a critical road test to maintain momentum before a key stretch featuring a rematch with Gonzaga next month. San Diego aims to build on its momentum from the Washington State win and level the season series.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST on Saturday, Jan. 24, at Jenny Craig Pavilion.