SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — Elijah Mahi scored 30 points to power Santa Clara to a 94-73 victory over San Francisco in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at War Memorial Gymnasium. The Broncos never trailed, building a six-point halftime lead and pulling away after the break. Mahi’s efficient performance, needing just 33 minutes, anchored an offense that shot 48.6% from the field and committed only nine turnovers. Christian Hammond added 18 points for Santa Clara. Ryan Beasley led the Dons with 22 points and Junjie Wang added 19. San Francisco was hampered by 17 turnovers, which Santa Clara converted into 23 points. The Broncos improved to 23-6 overall, while the Dons fell to .500 at 15-15. Attendance was 2,898.

SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — In a commanding display of efficiency and defensive pressure, the Santa Clara Broncos authored a decisive 94-73 victory over the San Francisco Dons in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball game Saturday night at War Memorial Gymnasium. The contest was effectively decided by a dominant first-half stretch from the visitors, who leveraged a withering defensive effort to build a lead that would never be seriously challenged. Santa Clara improved to 23-6 overall, while San Francisco leveled its record at 15-15. The game’s pivotal sequence unfolded midway through the opening period. Leading 16-13, Santa Clara unleashed a game-defining 12-0 run fueled entirely by its defense. The Broncos forced turnovers on four consecutive San Francisco possessions, converting each into points on the other end. Elijah Mahi, the standout forward from Toronto, ignited the surge with a steal and a transition layup. Allen Graves followed with another steal and a thunderous dunk, and Christian Hammond capped the burst with a 3-pointer, pushing the lead to 28-13 and forcing a San Francisco timeout. That stretch encapsulated the night’s themes. Santa Clara’s defensive activity, which produced 14 steals and forced 17 total turnovers, consistently generated high-percentage offensive opportunities. The Broncos finished with an offensive rating of 124.3, scoring 1.24 points per possession, a mark of elite efficiency. They complemented this by dominating the glass, securing 10 offensive rebounds to San Francisco’s two, which led to a 15-4 advantage in second-chance points. Mahi was the offensive catalyst, scoring a game-high 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting, including four 3-pointers, while adding two assists and a block in 33 minutes. His performance, coming off a 15-point effort in a loss to Gonzaga, provided consistent scoring punch whenever the Dons showed signs of life. San Francisco, led by guard Ryan Beasley’s 22 points and five assists, struggled to find any sustained rhythm. The Dons shot a respectable 46.3% from the field but were undone by their ball security issues and an inability to contain Santa Clara’s multifaceted attack. Forward Junjie Wang added 19 points for the home team. Every time San Francisco attempted to mount a comeback, Santa Clara had an answer. After the Dons cut the deficit to 43-35 early in the second half, the Broncos responded with a 9-2 run, highlighted by a Thierry Darlan 3-pointer and a Mahi turnaround jumper, to restore a 15-point cushion. Darlan, from Bangui, Central African Republic, provided crucial bench production with 15 points. Santa Clara’s backcourt of Hammond and Brenton Knapper supplied 18 and 10 points, respectively, while the Broncos’ ball movement, resulting in 14 assists to San Francisco’s eight, consistently found open shooters. They shot 48.6% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range. The Broncos led 44-38 at halftime and only expanded their lead after the break, scoring 50 second-half points. Their largest lead reached 23 points in the final minutes before settling on the 21-point margin of victory. A crowd of 2,898 watched as Santa Clara swept the season series, having also defeated San Francisco 88-73 on Jan. 28. The win keeps Santa Clara in strong position near the top of the conference standings as it heads into a key road test at Saint Mary’s on Wednesday. San Francisco will look to regroup on the road at Pacific next Saturday. The statistical pregame projection from National Statistical’s ELO system gave Santa Clara a 69% probability to win, a forecast the Broncos exceeded with a performance that underscored their status as one of the WCC’s most complete teams.

SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — A surging Santa Clara squad looks to continue its push toward the postseason when it visits rival San Francisco in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at War Memorial Gymnasium. The Broncos (22-6) have won seven of their last eight games, with their only loss in that stretch a competitive 94-86 defeat to conference powerhouse Gonzaga on Feb. 14. They enter this contest firmly in the hunt for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. The Dons (15-14), meanwhile, have struggled for consistency, dropping five of their last six, including a 59-80 home loss to Gonzaga on Wednesday. Santa Clara will rely on the hot hand of guard Allen Graves. The standout has averaged 16.4 points over his last seven games, including a 30-point outburst in a road win at Washington State on Feb. 7. In the teams’ first meeting this season, a 88-73 Santa Clara victory on Jan. 28, Graves contributed 11 points and three assists. San Francisco will counter with guard Tyrone Riley, who is coming off a team-high 16-point performance against Gonzaga. Riley was held to eight points in the prior loss at Santa Clara. The Dons will need a stronger defensive effort after allowing an average of 81.8 points during their recent 1-5 skid. The Broncos have dominated the recent series, winning the last four head-to-head meetings. Their offensive firepower, averaging 86.6 points over their last five games, presents a significant challenge for a San Francisco team that has been held under 70 points in three of its last four contests. For Santa Clara, this game is critical to maintain momentum before a key road test at Saint Mary’s next Wednesday. For San Francisco, it represents a final regular-season home opportunity to secure a winning record and build confidence before visiting Pacific on Feb. 28. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST Saturday.