Pepperdine Surprises Santa Clara 78-76 in WCC Tournament

LAS VEGAS — In an exciting matchup during the West Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinals, the Pepperdine Waves managed to surprise many by defeating Santa Clara 78-76 on Sunday night. Moe Odum played a pivotal role, contributing 19 points and an impressive 13 assists to secure the victory for Pepperdine.
The Waves, holding the ninth seed with a current record of 13-21, will now advance to face the top-seeded Saint Mary’s in the semifinals, scheduled for Monday. Earlier in the tournament, Pepperdine successfully overcame the No. 8 seed with an 86-73 win and later edged out No. 5 seed Oregon State 77-73.
Odum was not only instrumental with his assists and scoring but also added five rebounds to his night’s achievements. Stefan Todorovic was significant as well, making three shots from beyond the arc and matching Odum’s 19 points. Dovydas Butka contributed 13 points to the Waves’ effort.
On the other side, Tyeree Bryan was the leading scorer for the Broncos, who stand at 20-12, finishing with 18 points. His efforts were supported by Brenton Knapper, who added 17 points, and Johnny O’Neil, who scored 10 points and secured nine rebounds.
The game saw Pepperdine trailing 40-36 at halftime. However, a strong 7-0 run enabled them to clinch a 58-56 lead with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation. As the clock wound down, Zion Bethea sealed the deal by making two crucial free throws with only three seconds to go, giving the Waves a five-point lead. Bryan managed to sink a three-pointer at the buzzer for Santa Clara, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the upset.