STOCKTON, Calif. (Interstat) — The Santa Clara Broncos used a dominant defensive performance to defeat the Pacific Tigers 71-56 in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at A.C. Spanos Center. Santa Clara forced 15 turnovers, recorded 11 steals and held Pacific to an offensive rating of 86.1 points per 100 possessions. The Broncos built a 30-26 halftime lead and pulled away in the second half, limiting the Tigers to 3-for-11 shooting from 3-point range. Jake Ensminger scored 13 points for Santa Clara, which improved to 20-5. Allen Graves added 12 points. Pacific (15-10) was led by TJ Wainwright’s 13 points. Attendance was 1,139.

STOCKTON, Calif. (Interstat) — The Santa Clara Broncos used a disruptive defensive performance to pull away in the second half and complete a regular-season sweep of the Pacific Tigers with a 71-56 victory in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at a sparsely attended A.C. Spanos Center. In a game defined more by grit than offensive artistry, the Broncos forced 15 turnovers and converted them into 12 points while holding Pacific to an offensive rating of just 86.1 points per 100 possessions. Santa Clara, which entered as a seven-point favorite, improved to 20-5 overall. Pacific fell to 15-10. The most critical phase of the contest came early in the second half, when Santa Clara transformed a narrow four-point halftime lead into a commanding double-digit advantage. Leading 30-26 at the break despite shooting just 34.5% from the field, the Broncos opened the second period with an 11-5 run. The surge was capped by a sequence emblematic of the entire game: Pacific’s Isaac Jack committed a turnover, Santa Clara’s 7-foot-1 center Bukky Oboye stole the ball and was fouled, making one free throw to push the lead to 41-31 with 17:56 remaining. Pacific, which struggled to find any offensive rhythm against Santa Clara’s active defense, never recovered from that stretch. The Tigers shot 3 for 11 from three-point range and managed only four assists against 15 turnovers for the game. Their leading scorer, TJ Wainwright, finished with 13 points but needed 37 minutes of work to get there. Santa Clara’s offense, while not spectacular, was efficient enough and shared the scoring load. Jake Ensminger, a 6-foot-9 forward from Ulm, Germany, led the Broncos with 13 points, including a crucial three-pointer early in the second half that stemmed a brief Pacific response. Allen Graves added 12 points off the bench, providing a key interior presence with his activity on both ends. Brenton Knapper and Elijah Mahi each chipped in 11 points. The Broncos ultimately won with defense and hustle, amassing 11 steals and scoring eight fastbreak points to Pacific’s two. They also overcame a poor shooting night from deep, making just 8 of 30 three-point attempts, by dominating the possession battle through offensive rebounds and forced turnovers. For Pacific, Wainwright’s 13 points were matched by Elias Ralph, who also scored 11. Isaac Jack contributed 10 points inside, but the Tigers’ backcourt was stifled, combining for more turnovers than assists. The loss continued a frustrating trend for Pacific against the upper tier of the WCC, while Santa Clara continued its march toward a potential postseason bid, having now won six of its last seven games. The game’s total points, 127, fell well under the pregame over/under line of 151, underscoring the defensive struggle that unfolded. Santa Clara will look to continue its momentum on the road at Washington State on Saturday. Pacific travels to face Pepperdine, also on Saturday.

STOCKTON, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging Santa Clara squad looks to continue its climb up the West Coast Conference standings when it visits Pacific in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball rematch Wednesday night at the A.C. Spanos Center. The Broncos (19-5), winners of five straight, bring one of the league’s most potent offenses to Stockton. They are averaging 94.2 points during their win streak, highlighted by a 104-73 rout of Loyola Marymount last Saturday. Guard Brenton Knapper erupted for 22 points in that victory, continuing a stretch of strong play. In the teams’ first meeting this season, a 85-69 Santa Clara win on Jan. 14, Knapper added 7 points. Pacific (15-9) aims to halt that momentum and avenge the earlier loss on its home floor. The Tigers are coming off a narrow 87-82 road loss to San Francisco, a game in which forward Elias Ralph scored 23 points. Ralph has been a consistent force for Pacific, pouring in 17 points and dishing 5 assists in the January loss to Santa Clara. His matchup with Santa Clara’s frontcourt will be pivotal. The Tigers have found success at home recently, with wins in three of their last four at Spanos Center, including a tight 56-54 victory over Seattle. Containing Santa Clara’s balanced attack, which saw Allen Graves (17 points) and Elijah Mahi (12 points) complement Knapper’s outburst against LMU, will be Pacific’s primary challenge. A Santa Clara victory would solidify its position near the top of the WCC and complete a regular-season sweep. For Pacific, a win would provide a crucial resume-building victory and disrupt the rhythm of one of the conference’s hottest teams. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.