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.

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — The Pepperdine Waves used a dominant first quarter to seize control and never looked back, defeating the Santa Clara Broncos 80-63 in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves, avenging a narrow loss in the teams’ previous meeting, improved to 17-11 overall. The Broncos, who entered the game with a 78.4% win probability according to National Statistical’s ELO system, fell to 21-8. The most important stretch of the game came immediately after the opening tip. Pepperdine erupted for 28 points in the first quarter, establishing a double-digit lead that Santa Clara would spend the rest of the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to erase. The Waves’ offense was ruthlessly efficient, shooting 10 of 18 from the field in the period while their defense held the Broncos to 6-of-20 shooting. Pepperdine guard Taija Sta Maria, a 5-foot-6 sophomore from Toronto, orchestrated the early onslaught and finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists. Her backcourt partner, Meghan Fiso of Seattle, added 9 points and 6 assists. Their playmaking fueled a balanced Waves attack that saw five players score nine or more points. Forward Elli Guiney, a 5-11 sophomore from Goodyear, Arizona, led all scorers with 20 points. German forward Lina Falk, standing 6-2, contributed 15 points and was a force defensively with a block and three steals. Center Shorna Preston of Christchurch, New Zealand, chipped in 9 points, 3 assists, and a game-high 4 steals. Santa Clara, which had won the teams’ prior matchup 72-74 on Jan. 31, struggled to find consistent offense outside of guard Ava Schmidt. The 5-10 sophomore from Sammamish, Washington, scored a team-high 17 points and blocked three shots. Guard Maia Jones of Tasman, New Zealand, added 11 points. The Broncos shot just 29% from the field overall and 26.3% from three-point range. Their offensive rating of 81.7 on 77 possessions underscored their difficulties. Pepperdine, by contrast, posted an offensive rating of 105.6, shot 45.7% from the floor, and dominated inside with a 42-20 advantage in points in the paint. After the 28-point first quarter gave Pepperdine an 11-point lead, the Waves maintained a comfortable margin throughout. Santa Clara closed the gap to nine points late in the second quarter, but a 3-pointer from Pepperdine’s Seleh Harmon of Norman, Oklahoma, who finished with 11 points, pushed the lead back to 12 at halftime, 45-33. The Waves opened the third quarter with a 7-2 run to extend their lead to 17 and effectively put the game out of reach. Santa Clara never got closer than 13 points in the final period. Pepperdine also won the battle on the boards, outrebounding Santa Clara 44-39, including a 14-10 edge in offensive rebounds. The Waves committed 15 turnovers to Santa Clara’s 11, but the Broncos could only convert those into an 18-9 edge in points off turnovers, insufficient to overcome their shooting woes. An announced crowd of 411 at Firestone Fieldhouse saw Pepperdine snap a two-game conference skid. The Waves will look to build on the victory when they travel to face Portland on Thursday. Santa Clara, which had its two-game win streak halted, returns home to host Pacific on Thursday.

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — A pivotal West Coast Conference women’s basketball rematch is set for Saturday when the Santa Clara Broncos visit the Pepperdine Waves at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Broncos (21-7), riding a three-game winning streak, will look to avenge a narrow 74-72 home loss to Pepperdine on Jan. 31. Santa Clara is coming off a 63-55 victory over Saint Mary’s on Thursday, led by Ashley Hawkins’ 11 points and seven assists. Hawkins remains a key facilitator for a Broncos offense that has scored 77 or more points in four of its last five wins. Pepperdine (16-11) snapped a two-game skid with a dominant 76-55 win over San Diego on Thursday. The Waves have been inconsistent lately but boast a potent weapon in Shorna Preston, who starred in the first meeting against Santa Clara. In that January victory, Preston posted 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Her recent form, however, has been uneven, scoring just seven total points in the Waves’ two losses last week before bouncing back with 13 points against San Diego. The matchup features contrasting trajectories. Santa Clara has won seven of its last nine, showcasing a high-powered attack. Pepperdine has alternated wins and losses over its past six games, seeking stability as the regular season winds down. The Waves’ defense, which held San Diego to 55 points, will be tested by a balanced Broncos squad that saw Ava Schmidt (14 points) and Maia Jones (10 points, five blocks) contribute significantly in its latest outing. With conference tournament seeding at stake, Saturday’s contest carries significant weight. Pepperdine will aim to protect its home court and complete a regular-season sweep, while Santa Clara seeks to continue its winning ways and settle a recent score. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. PST.