Lorne Jackson had 15 points and a game-best five assists Thursday night as Pepperdine held off Santa Clara 61-60.
Jackson tied his career high with four 3-pointers for the second straight game, and Mychel Thompson and Keion Bell scored 13 apiece for the Waves (6-12, 2-0 West Coast Conference).
Robert Smith led the Broncos (8-12, 0-3) with 15 points, and Raymond Cowels added 12.
Bell's jumper with 4:11 left gave Pepperdine a 57-49 cushion.
But Santa Clara came back with an 11-4 run and trailed just 61-60 on Marc Trasolini's basket with 1:09 left.
The score stayed 61-60 when Thompson was fouled with 5 seconds left. He missed both free throws, but Smith had the ball knocked out of his hands under the basket as time ran out.
Santa Clara outrebounded Pepperdine 37-27 but had 16 turnovers to 11 for the Waves.
