LAS VEGAS – Brad Waldow scored 21 points and hauled in eight rebounds to lead No. 4 seed Saint Mary's to an 80-69 win over fifth-seeded Pepperdine in the West Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals on Saturday night.
Tied at 22 late in the first half, Saint Mary's (22-10) took control with a 19-4 run capped by a Stephen Holt 3-pointer that made it 41-26 with 1:37 left before the break, and the Gaels never trailed again.
Beau Levesque and Holt contributed 15 points apiece for the Gaels, who shot 50 percent from the field and will face top-seeded Gonzaga in the semifinals Monday. Waldow was 6 of 7 from the field and sank nine of his 12 free throws.
Pepperdine (15-16) outscored the Gaels 41-39 in the second half but couldn't erase the 13-point halftime deficit.
Amadi Udenyi led the Waves with 13 points, Stacy Davis had 12 and Malcolm Brooks 10.
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