TONIGHT

* SANTA CLARA (8-7) at PEPPERDINE (8-5), 7--The Waves come into their West Coast Conference opener not having played in 12 days. They won their last two games over Charlotte (81-70) and Ohio (78-76) in the Arizona State Holiday Classic. Guard Brandon Armstrong scored a combined 70 in the two games. Pepperdine, the WCC regular-season champion last season, has been strong defensively and has held its last four opponents under 42% shooting. Santa Clara senior Brian Jones, from Wilmington Banning High, is averaging 17.3 points, but has made only 15 of 57 shots the last four games.