SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Interstat) — Pepperdine held off a late Santa Clara rally for a 74-72 victory in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Leavey Center.

The Waves built a 34-33 halftime lead and extended it with a 23-point third quarter. The Broncos chipped away in the fourth but fell short. Pepperdine dominated inside with 44 paint points to Santa Clara’s 24.

Shorna Preston led Pepperdine with 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Lina Falk added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Ashley Hawkins scored 21 points for Santa Clara, and Maia Jones added 20.

Pepperdine improved to 14-9. Santa Clara, which entered with a 92.8% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, fell to 18-6 before a crowd of 1,952.