WCC: Pepperdine reaches tournament semifinals

Jeremy Major made five three-pointers and matched a season high with 28 points to lead fourth-seeded Pepperdine past fifth-seeded San Francisco, 90-86, in the first round of the West Coast Conference tournament on Saturday at Las Vegas.

Pepperdine plays the winner of St. Mary’s-Loyola Marymount on Monday.

Stacy Davis added 18 points and Lamond Murray Jr. had 16 for the Waves (18-12), who shot 52.6% from the field and 50% from three-point range (nine of 18).

San Francisco led 37-36 at the half but the Waves seized control early in the second, taking a 66-56 lead on a Jett Raines layup with 8:56 left. The Dons (15-15) battled back to 78-74 on a Devin Watson layup, but two free throws and a dunk by Murray pushed Pepperdine lead back to eight and San Francisco never recovered. Watson tied a season best with 33 points to lead San Francisco. Tim Derksen added 23.

Brigham Young 72, Santa Clara 60: Kyle Collinsworth, the WCC player of the year, scored 13 points and had two key assists late in the game for the Cougars (23-9).

BYU will face the winner of the late game between No. 2 seed Gonzaga and No. 7 Portland in a semifinal Monday. Gonzaga has eliminated BYU in the last two tournament championship games.

Jared Brownridge led Santa Clara (11-20) with 30 points.

The Cougars rushed out to a 21-7 lead but Santa Clara twice came within one point, each time on a Brownridge three-pointer. The last made it 55-54 with 6:19 to play. Collinsworth, who finished with six assists, dished to Kyle Davis for a layup and then found Chase Fischer for a three-pointer and a 61-54 lead.