MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — The Pepperdine women’s basketball team used a dominant first quarter to secure an 80-63 victory over Santa Clara in a West Coast Conference game Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The Waves built a commanding 28-17 lead after the opening period and maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way. Taija Sta Maria of Pepperdine recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. Elli Guiney led all scorers with 20 points for the Waves.

Ava Schmidt scored 17 points to lead Santa Clara. The Broncos fell to 21-8 overall, while Pepperdine improved to 17-11. Attendance was 411.