SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -John Bryant scored 19 points and grabbed 17 rebounds and Santa Clara won its fourth straight game with a 64-52 victory over Pepperdine Saturday night.
It was the 17th double-double of the season for Bryant, a 6-foot-11 senior who ranks second nationally in that category and in rebounds. Kevin Foster, one of six freshmen starters in the game (three for each team), had 15 points, Calvin Johnson scored 12 and James Rahon 11 for the Broncos (11-13, 3-4 WCC), who tied a season high with 12 3-pointers.
Khion Bell had 12 points and Mychel Thompson 10 for Pepperdine (5-18, 2-5), losers of five of six.
The Wave had had no answer inside for the 275-pound Bryant, who has lost 75 pounds since he entered Santa Clara. With his ninth rebound he became just the third Santa Clara player to record 1,000 career rebounds. Bryant, who made 7-of-9 shots, improved on his season averages of 17.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.
Foster made one of his five 3-pointers to start a 15-4 run early in the second half to give Santa Clara a 51-34 edge. A putback and three-point play by Bryant moments later gave the Broncos their largest lead, 57-38 with 8:27 left.
Foster, Johnson and Rahon scored 36 of their 38 points on 3-pointers, where the Broncos converted 12 of 28 attempts.
Pepperdine was coming off its first road win this season, 69-67 at USF on Thursday.
Santa Clara won last year's home game over Pepperdine 101-86, the first time it had scored in triple digits since 1993.
