santa clara basketball will take the floor at 11 p. m. ET on Sunday, with the No. 3 seed Santa Clara Broncos (24-7, 15-3 WCC) facing the No. 6 seed Pacific Tigers (18-14, 8-10 WCC) in the WCC tournament. It’s the kind of tip time that turns living rooms quiet and arenas sharp—when every possession feels louder than the clock.
What time is Pacific vs. Santa Clara, and why does the timing matter?
The matchup is scheduled for 11 p. m. ET on Sunday, a late window that asks players to stay locked in long after most of the day’s games have ended. The stakes are straightforward: one team moves on in the WCC tournament, and one goes home.
Santa Clara enters as the No. 3 seed, while Pacific arrives as the No. 6 seed after beating Seattle last night to earn this opportunity. That win also snapped a four-game losing streak for the Tigers, a small but real shift in mood that can travel quickly into the next game.
Santa Clara Basketball vs. Pacific: what the numbers say going in
This will be the third matchup between these teams this season. Santa Clara won both regular-season meetings: 85-69 on January 14 and 71-56 on February 4. Pacific now gets a tournament rematch, with a chance to rewrite a story that has, so far, leaned toward the Broncos.
The betting line listed for the game has Santa Clara as a 9. 5-point favorite with -500 odds to win outright, while Pacific is listed at +380. The game total is set at 149. 5.
Records and recent trends add texture without guaranteeing anything. Pacific is 15-14 against the spread on the season, with the game total going under in 17 of 29 qualifying matchups. Santa Clara is 17-13 against the spread, with the total going over in 20 of 30 games.
Who to watch: key players and contrasting styles
Pacific’s offense is led by Elias Ralph, who averages 16. 5 points and 6. 8 assists per game and shoots 39. 5% from beyond the arc. TJ Wainwright adds 13. 2 points and 3. 9 rebounds, hitting 39. 4% from three. In the frontcourt and on the glass, Isaac Jack contributes 9. 4 points and 5. 4 rebounds, while Justin Rochelin adds 9. 2 points and 6. 2 rebounds. The rotation also includes Jaden Clayton, Kajus Kublickas, and Jaion Pitt in notable roles.
Santa Clara’s scoring begins with Christian Hammond at 15. 9 points per game, plus 2. 9 rebounds and 2. 4 assists, shooting 39. 5% from three. Elijah Mahi follows with 14. 0 points, 4. 5 rebounds, and 2. 7 assists. Allen Graves is the other double-figure scorer at 11. 5 points, and he also leads the team with 6. 5 rebounds while shooting 40. 8% from three. Supporting minutes come from Aleksandar Gavalyugov, Bukky Oboye, Brenton Knapper, and Jake Ensminger.
Team profiles underline why this game can feel like a clash of instincts. Pacific ranks 256th in the nation in scoring, 168th in offensive rating, 71st in field-goal percentage, and 57th in three-point percentage. Defensively, the Tigers sit 57th in opponent scoring and 104th in defensive rating.
Santa Clara, coached by Herb Sendek, scores 83. 8 points per game (ranking 29th among D1 teams) and ranks 35th in offensive rating. The Broncos are also 25th in three-point attempts per game. Defensively, Santa Clara holds opponents to 72. 4 points per game (ranking 139th out of 365 qualifying teams).
How can fans watch Pacific vs. Santa Clara men’s basketball?
A watch guide for the game was created using technology provided by Data Skrive. The matchup itself is set for Sunday night at 11 p. m. ET, with the WCC tournament game featuring the No. 3 seed Broncos and the No. 6 seed Tigers.
In a tournament setting, the viewing ritual can feel almost as fixed as the scouting report—late-night screens, tightened volume, and the sense that a season’s work can hinge on a short stretch of execution. For santa clara basketball, the task is to extend a season that has already produced 24 wins; for Pacific, it’s to turn the momentum of a snapped skid into a statement win against a team that has beaten them twice.
Image caption (alt text): santa clara basketball prepares for an 11 p. m. ET WCC tournament matchup against Pacific
