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No. 24 Saint Mary's tops Pepperdine

Jan 20, 2012 - 5:23 AM Moraga, CA (Sports Network) - Rob Jones posted 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 24 Saint Mary's to a 61-47 win over Pepperdine.

Matthew Dellavedova had 13 points and five assists while Stephen Holt contributed 12 points for the Gaels (18-2, 8-0 WCC), who have won their past eight games.

Caleb Willis scored 14 points and Jordan Baker added 13 for the Waves (7-11, 1-6), who have dropped six straight.

The Gaels scored the first six points of the contest and later used a 9-0 run for a 21-8 lead on a Holt layup midway through the opening half.

The Waves scored the next six points to keep it close and Mitchell Young hit two free throws for Saint Mary's to finish the scoring in the half and give his team a 29-21 lead after 20 minutes.

Pepperdine scored the first seven points of the second half to make it a one- point game, but Holt and Jorden Page hit consecutive three-pointers and Young followed with a tip-in for a 37-28 lead.

A 7-0 run a bit later for Saint Mary's made it a double-digit game on a three- ball from Dellavedova for a 44-34 advantage with 13 minutes to play.

Pepperdine got back within six a couple of times, but with the score 50-44, Saint Mary's got a three-point play from Dellavedova, which he followed with a traditional three-pointer as did Holt for a 59-44 lead.

Pepperdine didn't score for almost seven minutes to kill any attempt at a rally.

Game Notes

Saint Mary's plays at Santa Clara on Saturday...Pepperdine hosts BYU on Saturday...Pepperdine leads the series, 68-58...Saint Mary's shot 42.6 percent while Pepperdine made 40.9 percent of its shots.