New Mexico State Beats Men's Hoops, 78-72
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/18/2009
Pepperdine-NMSU Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine men's basketball team kept rallying in the second half to get within one point of New Mexico State, but the Aggies held on for a 78-72 win on Friday night in Firestone Fieldhouse.
The Waves (3-9) were led by 19 points from sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) and 18 points from junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC). Sophomore forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) added 11 points.
Jahmar Young (27) and Jonathan Gibson (24) of New Mexico State (4-6) scored 51 of the Aggies' 78 points and were their only two players in double-figures.
The Waves broke out to leads of 9-3 and 14-8 as Bell scored 10 points in the first five minutes. But the Aggies went on a 21-4 run over about an eight-minute period (Gibson scored 10) and took their largest lead of the game at 29-18 with 7:30 to play.
Pepperdine had a strong finish to the second half, however, and pulled back to within three points at 38-35 at the break after sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) nailed a three-pointer with 38 seconds left.
The Waves closed the deficit to one point three times in the second half: at 46-45 with 15:53 to play after a putback by Dupre', at 59-58 with 8:50 to play after a three-pointer by Suttle and at 61-60 with 6:29 to play after two free throws by freshman forward Tanner Kerry (Sydney, Australia/Cranbrook School).
But after the Waves pulled within one point on that last occasion, Young had five points as part of an 8-0 run that boosted the New Mexico State lead to 69-60 with a little more than four minutes remaining. Pepperdine got no closer than four points the rest of the way.
NMSU had a 50.0%-37.3% edge in shooting, while the Waves hit more three-pointers (11 to nine) and had the rebounding advantage (41-39).
Kerry had season highs of seven points, eight rebounds and 21 minutes for the Waves.
Pepperdine gets back into action quickly with two games prior to Christmas: Monday (Dec. 21) at UC Irvine at 7 p.m. and Wednesday (Dec. 23) vs. Utah at 7 p.m. in Firestone Fieldhouse. Fans can catch the games and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?SPSID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts.
Waves Host New Mexico State on Friday
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/16/2009
Pepperdine Men's Basketball Notes
THE FACTS - After finishing up final exams, the Pepperdine men's basketball team completes a four-game homestand with a contest against New Mexico State on Friday. It's the start of a busy stretch of games right before Christmas, with contests at UC Irvine on Monday and at home against Utah on Wednesday. Keion Bell is now just one of two players in all of Division I averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and four assists.
GAME #12 - Friday (Dec. 18) at Firestone Fieldhouse: Pepperdine (3-8) vs. New Mexico State (3-6) at 7:30 p.m. In the first game of the doubleheader, the Pepperdine women face Nevada at 5 p.m.
ON THE WEB - Subscribers to "Wave Casts" can catch all Pepperdine men's basketball games on the internet at www.pepperdinesports.com. Veteran play-by-play man Al Epstein, now in his 25th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Home games will have live audio and video, while road games will be audio only. Go to the Pepperdine Athletics website and look for the Wave Casts link. An annual pass costs $69.95 and monthly subscriptions are also available. Live statistics will be available for all home matches free of charge, and links are provided to the home team's website when the Waves are on the road.
PROMOTIONS - Groups of 15 or more can purchase general admission tickets for $5 each ... If the Waves score 75 points or more in an upcoming home game, certificates will be given out afterward for a free piece of grilled chicken from the KFC in Malibu.
TICKETS - Men's basketball single-game tickets cost $15 (lower reserved), $12 (upper reserved), $10 (adult general admission) or $5 (child general admission). Call (866) WAVE-TIX to purchase tickets.
NEW MEXICO STATE - Pepperdine is 8-3 all-time against New Mexico State. A majority of the meetings (eight of the 11) took place in the 1950s. One matchup was in the 1989 NIT during Tom Asbury's first season as head coach (an 84-69 Pepperdine victory in Las Cruces; Marty Wilson started and scored four points). The only meeting since then was last season in Las Cruces, when the host Aggies posted a 90-66 victory (Taylor Darby had team highs of 12 points and 11 rebounds). This is the first time that NMSU has ever visited Firestone Fieldhouse.
LAST GAME - Pepperdine couldn't overcome Portland State's three-point barrage (17 for the game, which tied the Firestone Fieldhouse record and was one shy of the Vikings' school record) in a 93-81 loss on Sunday (Dec. 13). Pepperdine nearly had six players score in double-figures, led by Keion Bell and Lorne Jackson with 16 points apiece. Portland State led for most of the first half and was up 43-38 at the break, but Pepperdine tied the game early in the second half. It was still just a five-point lead for the Vikings with 9:20 to go at 67-62, but a 12-0 run gave Portland State its largest lead of the game and the Waves were unable to rally back.
SOPHOMORE SCORERS - Last season, Pepperdine's eight-man freshman class scored more than half of the Waves' points (57.4%). So far, the now-sophomore class has contributed 69.2% of Pepperdine's scoring.
BELL'S BIG START - At the start of the week, Keion Bell ranked 11th nationally and first in the WCC in scoring (22.2 points per game). He and Manny Harris of Michigan are the only two Division I players across the nation that began the week averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and four assists. Bell has scored more than 20 points in eight of his 11 games, including a career-high 34 against Monmouth, while his season-low was still 16 points. On the WCC leaderboard, he is also second in steals (2.0), fourth in assists (4.4), fifth in minutes (33.0), eighth in field goal percentage (.503), 10th in free throw percentage (.796) and 16th in rebounding (5.2). At the pace he's on, he'll become Pepperdine's 35th 1,000-point scorer by the end of his sophomore season (he's got 656).
SUTTLE'S SHOOTING - Dane Suttle Jr., second-best on the team at 11.3 points per game, is one of the conference's best three-point shooters so far this season. He is averaging 2.1 per game (seventh in the WCC) and making 43.8% of them (21-for-48, seventh in the WCC).
THOMPSON TEAM CAPTAIN - Mychel Thompson was selected as team captain for 2009-10 after a landslide vote by his teammates. The junior forward is Pepperdine's only player that has been with the team for two full seasons. He is averaging 10.0 points this season and 9.0 points for his career, and has made 101 career three-pointers (he needs 113 to break into the school's top 10).
2009-10 HONORS - Keion Bell was named to the preseason All-WCC first team ... Bell was named MVP of the World Vision Challenge at Wyoming and Dane Suttle Jr. also made the all-tournament team.
ROSTER - There are no seniors on the 2009-10 squad, and 12 of the 16 players are underclassmen. The roster features four juniors, seven sophomores and five true freshmen. Pepperdine returns 11 letterwinners from last season (believed to be among the most in school history). There are also five newcomers, bringing the roster total to 16. Twelve are on scholarship and four are walk-ons.
RETURNERS - Four of the five starters from last year's team return (Keion Bell, Taylor Darby, Corbin Moore and Mychel Thompson). Pepperdine's returning players account for 82.5% percent of last year's scoring (1629/1974), 88.3% of the rebounds (919/1041), 65.4% of the assists (223/341), 95.0% of the blocked shots (96/101) and 77.2% of the steals (166/215).
YOUTUBE SENSATION - Keion Bell, a preseason All-WCC first team selection, got Pepperdine a ton of publicity in mid-October. At Blue & Orange Madness, Pepperdine's event to kick off the start of practice, the sophomore guard finished up the dunk contest by leaping over five teammates and slamming it home. A Pepperdine fan happened to record the dunk on his iPhone and uploaded it onto YouTube. It quickly spread around the internet and at last check had nearly 1.1 million hits. ESPN's SportsCenter picked up the video and made the dunk the #2 Play of the Day.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE - Tom Asbury believes in preparing his team for league play with a difficult non-conference slate of games, and so that's what the Waves are in the midst of. The Waves play six games against non-conference teams that took part in the postseason last year: Portland State, UCLA and Utah made the NCAA Tournament, Miami (Fla.) was in the NIT, Wyoming was in the College Basketball Invitational and Pacific was in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Nine of the 16 non-conference games are at home.
WCC PRESEASON POLL - According to the WCC's coaches, the Waves are predicted to finish seventh in the conference. Their poll went in the following order: Gonzaga, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Francisco and Santa Clara (tied), San Diego, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. Several national publications and websites have differing opinions on the Waves, including fourth (The Sporting News), fifth (The Sports Network), sixth (Athlon and Lindy's) and seventh (Rivals.com, CBSSports.com and CollegeHoops.net).
TELEVISION - The Waves are slated to appear on television several times once again in 2009-10. Six games will be shown locally - Nov. 23 at UCLA on Fox Sports West, Jan. 14 vs. Santa Clara on ESPNU, Jan. 21 at Gonzaga on Prime Ticket (delayed), Jan. 30 vs. San Diego on Prime Ticket, Feb. 18 vs. Portland on Prime Ticket and Feb. 20 vs. Gonzaga on Fox Sports West.
TOM ASBURY - Now in his second stint in charge of the Waves is coaching great Tom Asbury. He returned to Malibu prior to the 2008-09 campaign to become the Waves' head coach again after 14 seasons away. Asbury was previously at Pepperdine for nine years as an assistant coach (1980-88) and then the next six as the head coach (1989-94). He went on to serve as head coach at Kansas State from 1995-2000 and was an assistant coach at Alabama from 2004-07. Asbury went 125-59 (.679) in his first head coaching job at Pepperdine and took the Waves to the postseason five times in six years with three NCAA Tournament appearances (1991, '92, '94) and two in the NIT (1989, '93). Pepperdine won three regular-season WCC titles and the school's only three WCC Tournament championships came under Asbury. Prior to the start of the 2009-10 season, his seven-year record at Pepperdine was 134-82 (.620) and his 13-year record as a head coach was 219-170 (.563).
ASSISTANTS - Upon his return, Tom Asbury wanted to find assistants with a passion for Pepperdine and an understanding of its mission, so he turned to three former student-athletes. It's believed that Duke and Pepperdine have the only two college basketball staffs where the assistant coaches are all alums. Associate head coach Marty Wilson (1985-89) and assistant coaches Damin Lopez (1990-94) and Will Kimble (2001-03) played in three different eras, all successful. In the 13 seasons that made up their playing careers, Pepperdine went a combined 261-135 (.659), had 12 winning seasons, won six WCC regular-season titles and three WCC tournament titles, and made six NCAA Tournaments and four NITs.
ONE RECRUIT - There are no seniors on the roster but Pepperdine had one scholarship to offer for 2010-11. During the early signing period, they inked Hector Harold, a 6-foot-6 small forward from the Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) School. He was given a rating of 88 out of 100 by ESPN.com's recruiting site and is considered one of the top seniors in New England. He is originally from Pasadena, Calif.
LAST SEASON - Tom Asbury's return to Pepperdine brought much-needed stability to the program in his first season back. With only five players returning, Asbury and his new staff brought in 10 newcomers well after the regular letter-of-intent signing period. The young Waves posted a 9-23 overall record but got much better as the year went on, placing sixth in the WCC with a 5-9 record and winning a first-round game at the WCC Tournament. Keion Bell was named to the WCC All-Freshman team after averaging a team-best 12.9 ppg.
PEPPERDINE HISTORY - This is the 72nd season of Pepperdine basketball, and the Waves opened 2009-10 with an all-time record of 1,111-910 (.550). Pepperdine has been to the NCAA Tournament 13 times (last in 2002), and has won 12 West Coast Conference regular-season titles (last in 2002) and three WCC Tournament crowns (last in 1994).
BEST IN THE WEST - Pepperdine has long been one of the top Division I programs on the West Coast. Over the 31-season period from the 1978-79 season through the 2008-09 campaign, of the 32 schools that currently play Division I basketball in California, Oregon or Washington, the Waves began the 2009-10 season ranking third overall in postseason appearances (16) and fifth in both wins (525) and winning percentage (.565) over the past 31 years.
WAVES IN THE PROS - This is the 34th consecutive season where at least one Pepperdine alum has been on an NBA roster. Currently in the NBA is Yakhouba Diawara, now in his fourth season overall and his second with the Miami Heat. A total of 16 former Pepperdine players have gone on to play in the NBA, most notably Dennis Johnson (the 1979 NBA Finals MVP) and Doug Christie (a 15-year NBA veteran who was a mainstay on the All-Defensive Team). Some recent standouts have been playing in foreign countries, including Alex Acker (Italy), Tezale Archie (Netherlands), Brandon Armstrong (Venezuela), Gerald Brown (Poland), Jelani Gardner (Greece), Kelvin Gibbs (Germany), Chase Griffin (Germany), Dana Jones (Switzerland) and Glen McGowan (Dominican Republic). Robert "Hollywood" Turner, formerly a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, is now playing in Finland.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE - Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won a total of nine NCAA championships in five different men's sports - one of just 14 schools to have accomplished this feat. Of the 14, Pepperdine is the only non-BCS school and has by far the smallest enrollment. The majority of Pepperdine's teams are ranked nationally year after year and compete for conference and national titles.
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/16/2009
Pepperdine Men's Basketball Notes
THE FACTS - After finishing up final exams, the Pepperdine men's basketball team completes a four-game homestand with a contest against New Mexico State on Friday. It's the start of a busy stretch of games right before Christmas, with contests at UC Irvine on Monday and at home against Utah on Wednesday. Keion Bell is now just one of two players in all of Division I averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and four assists.
GAME #12 - Friday (Dec. 18) at Firestone Fieldhouse: Pepperdine (3-8) vs. New Mexico State (3-6) at 7:30 p.m. In the first game of the doubleheader, the Pepperdine women face Nevada at 5 p.m.
ON THE WEB - Subscribers to "Wave Casts" can catch all Pepperdine men's basketball games on the internet at www.pepperdinesports.com. Veteran play-by-play man Al Epstein, now in his 25th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Home games will have live audio and video, while road games will be audio only. Go to the Pepperdine Athletics website and look for the Wave Casts link. An annual pass costs $69.95 and monthly subscriptions are also available. Live statistics will be available for all home matches free of charge, and links are provided to the home team's website when the Waves are on the road.
PROMOTIONS - Groups of 15 or more can purchase general admission tickets for $5 each ... If the Waves score 75 points or more in an upcoming home game, certificates will be given out afterward for a free piece of grilled chicken from the KFC in Malibu.
TICKETS - Men's basketball single-game tickets cost $15 (lower reserved), $12 (upper reserved), $10 (adult general admission) or $5 (child general admission). Call (866) WAVE-TIX to purchase tickets.
NEW MEXICO STATE - Pepperdine is 8-3 all-time against New Mexico State. A majority of the meetings (eight of the 11) took place in the 1950s. One matchup was in the 1989 NIT during Tom Asbury's first season as head coach (an 84-69 Pepperdine victory in Las Cruces; Marty Wilson started and scored four points). The only meeting since then was last season in Las Cruces, when the host Aggies posted a 90-66 victory (Taylor Darby had team highs of 12 points and 11 rebounds). This is the first time that NMSU has ever visited Firestone Fieldhouse.
LAST GAME - Pepperdine couldn't overcome Portland State's three-point barrage (17 for the game, which tied the Firestone Fieldhouse record and was one shy of the Vikings' school record) in a 93-81 loss on Sunday (Dec. 13). Pepperdine nearly had six players score in double-figures, led by Keion Bell and Lorne Jackson with 16 points apiece. Portland State led for most of the first half and was up 43-38 at the break, but Pepperdine tied the game early in the second half. It was still just a five-point lead for the Vikings with 9:20 to go at 67-62, but a 12-0 run gave Portland State its largest lead of the game and the Waves were unable to rally back.
SOPHOMORE SCORERS - Last season, Pepperdine's eight-man freshman class scored more than half of the Waves' points (57.4%). So far, the now-sophomore class has contributed 69.2% of Pepperdine's scoring.
BELL'S BIG START - At the start of the week, Keion Bell ranked 11th nationally and first in the WCC in scoring (22.2 points per game). He and Manny Harris of Michigan are the only two Division I players across the nation that began the week averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and four assists. Bell has scored more than 20 points in eight of his 11 games, including a career-high 34 against Monmouth, while his season-low was still 16 points. On the WCC leaderboard, he is also second in steals (2.0), fourth in assists (4.4), fifth in minutes (33.0), eighth in field goal percentage (.503), 10th in free throw percentage (.796) and 16th in rebounding (5.2). At the pace he's on, he'll become Pepperdine's 35th 1,000-point scorer by the end of his sophomore season (he's got 656).
SUTTLE'S SHOOTING - Dane Suttle Jr., second-best on the team at 11.3 points per game, is one of the conference's best three-point shooters so far this season. He is averaging 2.1 per game (seventh in the WCC) and making 43.8% of them (21-for-48, seventh in the WCC).
THOMPSON TEAM CAPTAIN - Mychel Thompson was selected as team captain for 2009-10 after a landslide vote by his teammates. The junior forward is Pepperdine's only player that has been with the team for two full seasons. He is averaging 10.0 points this season and 9.0 points for his career, and has made 101 career three-pointers (he needs 113 to break into the school's top 10).
2009-10 HONORS - Keion Bell was named to the preseason All-WCC first team ... Bell was named MVP of the World Vision Challenge at Wyoming and Dane Suttle Jr. also made the all-tournament team.
ROSTER - There are no seniors on the 2009-10 squad, and 12 of the 16 players are underclassmen. The roster features four juniors, seven sophomores and five true freshmen. Pepperdine returns 11 letterwinners from last season (believed to be among the most in school history). There are also five newcomers, bringing the roster total to 16. Twelve are on scholarship and four are walk-ons.
RETURNERS - Four of the five starters from last year's team return (Keion Bell, Taylor Darby, Corbin Moore and Mychel Thompson). Pepperdine's returning players account for 82.5% percent of last year's scoring (1629/1974), 88.3% of the rebounds (919/1041), 65.4% of the assists (223/341), 95.0% of the blocked shots (96/101) and 77.2% of the steals (166/215).
YOUTUBE SENSATION - Keion Bell, a preseason All-WCC first team selection, got Pepperdine a ton of publicity in mid-October. At Blue & Orange Madness, Pepperdine's event to kick off the start of practice, the sophomore guard finished up the dunk contest by leaping over five teammates and slamming it home. A Pepperdine fan happened to record the dunk on his iPhone and uploaded it onto YouTube. It quickly spread around the internet and at last check had nearly 1.1 million hits. ESPN's SportsCenter picked up the video and made the dunk the #2 Play of the Day.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE - Tom Asbury believes in preparing his team for league play with a difficult non-conference slate of games, and so that's what the Waves are in the midst of. The Waves play six games against non-conference teams that took part in the postseason last year: Portland State, UCLA and Utah made the NCAA Tournament, Miami (Fla.) was in the NIT, Wyoming was in the College Basketball Invitational and Pacific was in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Nine of the 16 non-conference games are at home.
WCC PRESEASON POLL - According to the WCC's coaches, the Waves are predicted to finish seventh in the conference. Their poll went in the following order: Gonzaga, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Francisco and Santa Clara (tied), San Diego, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. Several national publications and websites have differing opinions on the Waves, including fourth (The Sporting News), fifth (The Sports Network), sixth (Athlon and Lindy's) and seventh (Rivals.com, CBSSports.com and CollegeHoops.net).TELEVISION - The Waves are slated to appear on television several times once again in 2009-10. Six games will be shown locally - Nov. 23 at UCLA on Fox Sports West, Jan. 14 vs. Santa Clara on ESPNU, Jan. 21 at Gonzaga on Prime Ticket (delayed), Jan. 30 vs. San Diego on Prime Ticket, Feb. 18 vs. Portland on Prime Ticket and Feb. 20 vs. Gonzaga on Fox Sports West.
TOM ASBURY - Now in his second stint in charge of the Waves is coaching great Tom Asbury. He returned to Malibu prior to the 2008-09 campaign to become the Waves' head coach again after 14 seasons away. Asbury was previously at Pepperdine for nine years as an assistant coach (1980-88) and then the next six as the head coach (1989-94). He went on to serve as head coach at Kansas State from 1995-2000 and was an assistant coach at Alabama from 2004-07. Asbury went 125-59 (.679) in his first head coaching job at Pepperdine and took the Waves to the postseason five times in six years with three NCAA Tournament appearances (1991, '92, '94) and two in the NIT (1989, '93). Pepperdine won three regular-season WCC titles and the school's only three WCC Tournament championships came under Asbury. Prior to the start of the 2009-10 season, his seven-year record at Pepperdine was 134-82 (.620) and his 13-year record as a head coach was 219-170 (.563).
ASSISTANTS - Upon his return, Tom Asbury wanted to find assistants with a passion for Pepperdine and an understanding of its mission, so he turned to three former student-athletes. It's believed that Duke and Pepperdine have the only two college basketball staffs where the assistant coaches are all alums. Associate head coach Marty Wilson (1985-89) and assistant coaches Damin Lopez (1990-94) and Will Kimble (2001-03) played in three different eras, all successful. In the 13 seasons that made up their playing careers, Pepperdine went a combined 261-135 (.659), had 12 winning seasons, won six WCC regular-season titles and three WCC tournament titles, and made six NCAA Tournaments and four NITs.
ONE RECRUIT - There are no seniors on the roster but Pepperdine had one scholarship to offer for 2010-11. During the early signing period, they inked Hector Harold, a 6-foot-6 small forward from the Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) School. He was given a rating of 88 out of 100 by ESPN.com's recruiting site and is considered one of the top seniors in New England. He is originally from Pasadena, Calif.
LAST SEASON - Tom Asbury's return to Pepperdine brought much-needed stability to the program in his first season back. With only five players returning, Asbury and his new staff brought in 10 newcomers well after the regular letter-of-intent signing period. The young Waves posted a 9-23 overall record but got much better as the year went on, placing sixth in the WCC with a 5-9 record and winning a first-round game at the WCC Tournament. Keion Bell was named to the WCC All-Freshman team after averaging a team-best 12.9 ppg.
PEPPERDINE HISTORY - This is the 72nd season of Pepperdine basketball, and the Waves opened 2009-10 with an all-time record of 1,111-910 (.550). Pepperdine has been to the NCAA Tournament 13 times (last in 2002), and has won 12 West Coast Conference regular-season titles (last in 2002) and three WCC Tournament crowns (last in 1994).BEST IN THE WEST - Pepperdine has long been one of the top Division I programs on the West Coast. Over the 31-season period from the 1978-79 season through the 2008-09 campaign, of the 32 schools that currently play Division I basketball in California, Oregon or Washington, the Waves began the 2009-10 season ranking third overall in postseason appearances (16) and fifth in both wins (525) and winning percentage (.565) over the past 31 years.
WAVES IN THE PROS - This is the 34th consecutive season where at least one Pepperdine alum has been on an NBA roster. Currently in the NBA is Yakhouba Diawara, now in his fourth season overall and his second with the Miami Heat. A total of 16 former Pepperdine players have gone on to play in the NBA, most notably Dennis Johnson (the 1979 NBA Finals MVP) and Doug Christie (a 15-year NBA veteran who was a mainstay on the All-Defensive Team). Some recent standouts have been playing in foreign countries, including Alex Acker (Italy), Tezale Archie (Netherlands), Brandon Armstrong (Venezuela), Gerald Brown (Poland), Jelani Gardner (Greece), Kelvin Gibbs (Germany), Chase Griffin (Germany), Dana Jones (Switzerland) and Glen McGowan (Dominican Republic). Robert "Hollywood" Turner, formerly a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, is now playing in Finland.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE - Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won a total of nine NCAA championships in five different men's sports - one of just 14 schools to have accomplished this feat. Of the 14, Pepperdine is the only non-BCS school and has by far the smallest enrollment. The majority of Pepperdine's teams are ranked nationally year after year and compete for conference and national titles. New Mexico State Aggies +3 to upset Pepperdine Waves on road
Game Time: Friday, December 18, 2009 10:30 PM ET
Game Time: Friday, December 18, 2009 10:30 PM ET
Pepperrdine is 3-8 straight up this season, and truth be told, they are not even as good as that already poor record. The Waves are just 1-5 at home with the only win coming vs. a non-lined opponent in Cal State San Bernardino, and even that win vs. a seemingly outclassed opponent was by just a scant 72-70 score!The Waves have lost five straight games, as they defense has been dreadful, surrendering 83.0 points per game during this streak. Taking a look at the Pomeroy Ratings, they rank a dreadful 306 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing a whopping 1.096 points per possession. They only force turnovers on 16.9 percent of opponents possessions, ranking 325, and they rank 285 in two-point field goal percentage allowed at 52.0 percent.Now New Mexico State may be no great shakes either, but at least they won on the road at UTEP two games back, a UTEP team that is far superior to Pepperdine. Also, the Aggies are averaging 70.8 points per game on the road, which is actually better than the Waves home average of 68.8 points, and perhaps most importantly, New Mexico State has faced the fifth toughest schedule in the country to this point, according to Pomeroy.Thus, their 3-6 record is certainly understandable, and after battling the likes of St. Marys, New Mexico (twice), UTEP (twice) and even UCLA in a down year, the Aggies should appreciate this drop in class and get out of Malibu with a win. Copyright © SBR Forum. All Rights Reserved
Aggies Fall at UCLA
NM State-UCLA boxscore
LOS ANGELES-Playing in the historic Paley Pavilion, the New Mexico State men’s basketball team suffered a 100-68 loss at UCLA, Tuesday, Dec. 15, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Junior guard Jahmar Young led the Aggies with 13 points while senior guard Jonathan Gibson and junior guard Gordo Castillo added 11 points each. Sophomore guard Hernst Laroche tied his career-high assists mark with a game-high nine.
NM State made a season-high 11 3-point field goals hitting 50 percent as a team with Young and Castillo both sinking three apiece.
The Aggies struggled in the first half shooting only 37.5 percent from the field and were down at halftime, 47-26.
At the break, Castillo directed the Aggies with eight points including a 2-for-3 performance from beyond the arc. As a team, NM State was strong from the 3-point line with a 5-for-9 showing. Young added six points while Laroche had a game-high six assists, which is a season-high.
The Aggies conclude a four-game road stint at Pepperdine, Friday, Dec. 18, at 8:30 p.m.
Aggies stay on road, travel to UCLA
By Jason Groves Sun-News reporter
Posted: 12/15/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
LAS CRUCES — Jahmar Young backed head coach Marvin Menzies after the New Mexico State men's basketball team beat UTEP on Sunday on the road.
"He can yell at us until he is blue in the face in practice but if we don't get it as a team, it doesn't matter what he does," said Young after scoring 24 points to move the Aggies to 3-5 on the season. "He can give us all of the right things to do but we are going out and losing so it makes it look like he don't know what he is doing."
Sometimes the road can be a good place for a team to come together and figure things out.
The Aggies remain on the road this week for two games. The first is tonight against 2-6 UCLA at 8:30 p.m., available on 104 KGRT-FM. They play at Pepperdine on Friday at 8:30 p.m.
The Aggies played their most complete game of the season on Sunday. The Aggies turned the ball over just 12 times, made 28-of-32 from the foul line and had four players in double figures with key contributions from role players Kelly Merker and Hernst Laroche.
All in front of 10,459 at the Don Haskins Center.
"It really brought us all together," said Aggies junior Gordo Castillo, who scored 17 points on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. "These two road games are big. If we can get one at UCLA and Pepperdine and come back home at .500, it would be big and good for the community to come back. I think we have got way better the last few games."
Menzies said he was proud of the way the Aggies responded after he was ejected
Basketball, College Basketball, Portland State, Sports »
Portland State 93, Pepperdine 81: Nelson and Vikings shoot the lights out
By Special to The Oregonian
December 13, 2009, 9:36PM
MALIBU, Calif. -- Any curiosity about how the Portland State men's basketball team would respond to a zone defense was answered Sunday with a near-record performance by the Vikings' sharpshooters. PSU sank a season-high 17 three-pointers, one shy of the team record, to begin a four-game road trip with a 93-81 nonconference victory over Pepperdine at Firestone Fieldhouse. Junior forward Phil Nelson hit eight three-pointers, a career high, and finished with a game-high 28 points. "That was the first time we'd ever seen a zone this season," Vikings coach Tyler Geving said. "And, fortunately, it's one of those good and bad things. We shot a lot of threes, but the good thing is we can make a lot of threes. "We didn't do a very good job of getting the ball down low or to the high post, so we ended up shooting a lot of threes. So it wasn't really the game plan, but we also have a lot of good shooters." PSU's three-point total tied the Firestone Fieldhouse record and was nearly double the Vikings' season average entering the game. "We just moved the ball well," Nelson said. "We got a lot of wide-open shots and they were falling." Melvin Jones and Dominic Waters contributed 17 points apiece, including five three-pointers by Jones. Jamie Jones added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Nelson easily surpassed his previous season high of 15 points. "It was phenomenal," Geving said of Nelson's performance. "It was huge. He's got a reputation as a shooter and he did it today. He was getting lots of looks. ... A lot of it's because of the zone. I didn't want to play him inside; he's a good three-point shooter so I wanted him on the perimeter." PSU (5-4) never trailed after taking the lead less than five minutes into the game. The Vikings used a 10-point run to push their advantage to 12 midway through a first half in which they attempted 20 three-point shots. PSU's 43-38 halftime lead was quickly reduced to a 43-43 tie, but the lead returned to double figures when Nelson sank the Vikings' sixth three-pointer of the second half with 11:48 remaining. Improved rebounding helped the lead grow to as big as 17 points. Five Waves finished in double figures, led by Keion Bell and Lorne Jackson with 16 points each. Taylor Darby had 14 points and eight rebounds. The loss was the fifth in a row for Pepperdine (3-8) and first ever against PSU, which notched its fourth consecutive win. "One of the main keys has been defense and rebounding," Jones said of his team's recent success. "We don't have a problem scoring. Like today, we just find the guy with the hot hand." The Vikings have scored more than 80 points in each of their past six games.
Waves Beaten by Portland State, 93-81
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/13/2009
Pepperdine-Portland State Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine men's basketball team couldn't overcome Portland State's barrage of three-pointers as the Vikings posted a 93-81 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Portland State (5-4) made 17 three-pointers for the game, which tied the Firestone Fieldhouse record and was one shy of the school record. The Vikings connected on 52 percent of their 33 attempts.
The Waves (3-8) nearly had six players score in double-figures. Sophomore guards Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) and Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) each had a team-high 16 points, with Bell also collecting five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Sophomore forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) had 14 points and eight rebounds, junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) had 13 points and seven rebounds, junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC) added 11 points and sophomore forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) had nine points.
Portland State's Phil Nelson scored a career-high 28 points and had eight of his team's three-pointers.
The Waves took an early 7-3 lead after Dupre' converted a traditional three-point play. A 6-0 run not long after, however, put the Vikings ahead 12-9 and gave them a lead they would keep for the rest of the half. Nelson's fourth three-pointer of the half capped a 10-0 run that gave Portland State its largest lead of the half at 27-15 with 11:25 to go.
But Pepperdine immediately went on a 7-0 run that included Bell grabbing a defensive rebound and going baseline-to-baseline for a lay-up, cutting the lead to 27-22 with 9:35 left. A 9-3 run that featured jumpers by Thompson and Dupre' and a steal and dunk by Bell got the Waves back within two points at 35-33 with four minutes to go.
But, on the strength of nine first-half three-pointers, Portland State went into halftime with a 43-38 advantage.
The Waves scored the first five points of the second half as Dupre' hit a jumper and Jackson made a three-pointer to tie the game at 43-43.
Portland State hit two free throws the next time down the floor, however, and the Waves never had a chance to retake the lead as the Vikings began to pull away. Nelson's eighth three-pointer made it a double-digit lead again at 65-55 with 11:46 left.
Down by 12, Darby had two lay-ups and Bell had a three-point play to cut the deficit to five points at 67-62 with 9:20 to go. But the Vikings immediately went on a 12-0 run to take their biggest lead of 17 points at 79-62 with 6 1/2 minutes left. Pepperdine got no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
For the game, Portland State shot 54.8% to Pepperdine's 43.7%. The Waves committed just six turnovers and forced 10 and also had a 36-34 rebounding edge.
After final exams this week, the Waves finish their four-game homestand on Friday (Dec. 18) against New Mexico State at 7:30 p.m. Fans can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts. It's a doubleheader with the women's team, which plays Nevada at 5 p.m.
Associated Press
MALIBU, Calif. -- Phil Nelson led a barrage from beyond the arc with career highs of 28 points and eight 3-pointers as Portland State defeated Pepperdine 93-81 Sunday.
The Vikings (5-4) made 17 3s, one shy of the school record, and connected on 51.5 percent of their attempts.
Pepperdine (3-8) had five players score in double-figures, led by Keion Bell and Lorne Jackson, who had 16 apiece.
Melvin Jones made five 3s for Portland State and finished with 17 points.
The Vikings were up 67-62 with less than nine minutes to play but went on a 12-0 run to put the game away.
Nelson hit four 3s in the first nine minutes of the game as Portland State jumped out to a 27-15 lead. The Vikings led 43-38 at halftime, but Pepperdine quickly tied it by scoring the first five points of the second half.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
Nelson hits for 28 as PSU wins at Pepperdine
The Portland Tribune, Dec 14, 2009
MALIBU, Calif. - The Portland State Vikings, led by Phil Nelson’s 3-point shooting and career-high 28 points, stayed hot on Sunday.
The Viks beat host Pepperdine 93-81 to hike their record to 5-4 and stretch their winning streak to four games.
PSU, over .500 for the first time, has averaged 91.0 points in its victories.
The Vikings made a season-high 17 3-pointers at Pepperdine, which was one shy of the school record.
Nelson, a junior forward, helped Portland State take a 27-15 lead after 8 1/3 minutes, making four 3-pointers and a fastbreak dunk.
At the half, PSU led 43-38.
Nelson had 11 points (making three more 3-pointers) in a key 13-4 second-half run.
After Pepperdine (3-8) pulled within 67-62 at the 9:24 mark, the Vikings outscored the Waves 17-4 over the next four minutes.
Nelson finished 10 of 15 from the field and a career-best 8 of 12 from 3-point range.
Guards Melvin Jones and Dominic Waters each scored 17 points and combined for 17 Viking assists.
“Phil carried us in the first half, and he had 28 points. He’s capable of doing that for us,” PSU coach Tyler Geving said.
Jamie Jones added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Viks, who will play at Saint Mary's at 7 p.m. Fuesday. Copyright 2009 Pamplin Media Group,
NM State-UCLA boxscore
LOS ANGELES-Playing in the historic Paley Pavilion, the New Mexico State men’s basketball team suffered a 100-68 loss at UCLA, Tuesday, Dec. 15, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Junior guard Jahmar Young led the Aggies with 13 points while senior guard Jonathan Gibson and junior guard Gordo Castillo added 11 points each. Sophomore guard Hernst Laroche tied his career-high assists mark with a game-high nine.
NM State made a season-high 11 3-point field goals hitting 50 percent as a team with Young and Castillo both sinking three apiece.
The Aggies struggled in the first half shooting only 37.5 percent from the field and were down at halftime, 47-26.
At the break, Castillo directed the Aggies with eight points including a 2-for-3 performance from beyond the arc. As a team, NM State was strong from the 3-point line with a 5-for-9 showing. Young added six points while Laroche had a game-high six assists, which is a season-high.
The Aggies conclude a four-game road stint at Pepperdine, Friday, Dec. 18, at 8:30 p.m.
Aggies stay on road, travel to UCLA
By Jason Groves Sun-News reporter
Posted: 12/15/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
LAS CRUCES — Jahmar Young backed head coach Marvin Menzies after the New Mexico State men's basketball team beat UTEP on Sunday on the road.
"He can yell at us until he is blue in the face in practice but if we don't get it as a team, it doesn't matter what he does," said Young after scoring 24 points to move the Aggies to 3-5 on the season. "He can give us all of the right things to do but we are going out and losing so it makes it look like he don't know what he is doing."
Sometimes the road can be a good place for a team to come together and figure things out.
The Aggies remain on the road this week for two games. The first is tonight against 2-6 UCLA at 8:30 p.m., available on 104 KGRT-FM. They play at Pepperdine on Friday at 8:30 p.m.
The Aggies played their most complete game of the season on Sunday. The Aggies turned the ball over just 12 times, made 28-of-32 from the foul line and had four players in double figures with key contributions from role players Kelly Merker and Hernst Laroche.
All in front of 10,459 at the Don Haskins Center.
"It really brought us all together," said Aggies junior Gordo Castillo, who scored 17 points on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. "These two road games are big. If we can get one at UCLA and Pepperdine and come back home at .500, it would be big and good for the community to come back. I think we have got way better the last few games."
Menzies said he was proud of the way the Aggies responded after he was ejected
Basketball, College Basketball, Portland State, Sports »
Portland State 93, Pepperdine 81: Nelson and Vikings shoot the lights out
By Special to The Oregonian
December 13, 2009, 9:36PM
MALIBU, Calif. -- Any curiosity about how the Portland State men's basketball team would respond to a zone defense was answered Sunday with a near-record performance by the Vikings' sharpshooters. PSU sank a season-high 17 three-pointers, one shy of the team record, to begin a four-game road trip with a 93-81 nonconference victory over Pepperdine at Firestone Fieldhouse. Junior forward Phil Nelson hit eight three-pointers, a career high, and finished with a game-high 28 points. "That was the first time we'd ever seen a zone this season," Vikings coach Tyler Geving said. "And, fortunately, it's one of those good and bad things. We shot a lot of threes, but the good thing is we can make a lot of threes. "We didn't do a very good job of getting the ball down low or to the high post, so we ended up shooting a lot of threes. So it wasn't really the game plan, but we also have a lot of good shooters." PSU's three-point total tied the Firestone Fieldhouse record and was nearly double the Vikings' season average entering the game. "We just moved the ball well," Nelson said. "We got a lot of wide-open shots and they were falling." Melvin Jones and Dominic Waters contributed 17 points apiece, including five three-pointers by Jones. Jamie Jones added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Nelson easily surpassed his previous season high of 15 points. "It was phenomenal," Geving said of Nelson's performance. "It was huge. He's got a reputation as a shooter and he did it today. He was getting lots of looks. ... A lot of it's because of the zone. I didn't want to play him inside; he's a good three-point shooter so I wanted him on the perimeter." PSU (5-4) never trailed after taking the lead less than five minutes into the game. The Vikings used a 10-point run to push their advantage to 12 midway through a first half in which they attempted 20 three-point shots. PSU's 43-38 halftime lead was quickly reduced to a 43-43 tie, but the lead returned to double figures when Nelson sank the Vikings' sixth three-pointer of the second half with 11:48 remaining. Improved rebounding helped the lead grow to as big as 17 points. Five Waves finished in double figures, led by Keion Bell and Lorne Jackson with 16 points each. Taylor Darby had 14 points and eight rebounds. The loss was the fifth in a row for Pepperdine (3-8) and first ever against PSU, which notched its fourth consecutive win. "One of the main keys has been defense and rebounding," Jones said of his team's recent success. "We don't have a problem scoring. Like today, we just find the guy with the hot hand." The Vikings have scored more than 80 points in each of their past six games.
Waves Beaten by Portland State, 93-81
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/13/2009
Pepperdine-Portland State Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine men's basketball team couldn't overcome Portland State's barrage of three-pointers as the Vikings posted a 93-81 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Portland State (5-4) made 17 three-pointers for the game, which tied the Firestone Fieldhouse record and was one shy of the school record. The Vikings connected on 52 percent of their 33 attempts.
The Waves (3-8) nearly had six players score in double-figures. Sophomore guards Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) and Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) each had a team-high 16 points, with Bell also collecting five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Sophomore forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) had 14 points and eight rebounds, junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) had 13 points and seven rebounds, junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC) added 11 points and sophomore forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) had nine points.
Portland State's Phil Nelson scored a career-high 28 points and had eight of his team's three-pointers.
The Waves took an early 7-3 lead after Dupre' converted a traditional three-point play. A 6-0 run not long after, however, put the Vikings ahead 12-9 and gave them a lead they would keep for the rest of the half. Nelson's fourth three-pointer of the half capped a 10-0 run that gave Portland State its largest lead of the half at 27-15 with 11:25 to go.
But Pepperdine immediately went on a 7-0 run that included Bell grabbing a defensive rebound and going baseline-to-baseline for a lay-up, cutting the lead to 27-22 with 9:35 left. A 9-3 run that featured jumpers by Thompson and Dupre' and a steal and dunk by Bell got the Waves back within two points at 35-33 with four minutes to go.
But, on the strength of nine first-half three-pointers, Portland State went into halftime with a 43-38 advantage.
The Waves scored the first five points of the second half as Dupre' hit a jumper and Jackson made a three-pointer to tie the game at 43-43.
Portland State hit two free throws the next time down the floor, however, and the Waves never had a chance to retake the lead as the Vikings began to pull away. Nelson's eighth three-pointer made it a double-digit lead again at 65-55 with 11:46 left.
Down by 12, Darby had two lay-ups and Bell had a three-point play to cut the deficit to five points at 67-62 with 9:20 to go. But the Vikings immediately went on a 12-0 run to take their biggest lead of 17 points at 79-62 with 6 1/2 minutes left. Pepperdine got no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
For the game, Portland State shot 54.8% to Pepperdine's 43.7%. The Waves committed just six turnovers and forced 10 and also had a 36-34 rebounding edge.
After final exams this week, the Waves finish their four-game homestand on Friday (Dec. 18) against New Mexico State at 7:30 p.m. Fans can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts. It's a doubleheader with the women's team, which plays Nevada at 5 p.m.
Associated Press
MALIBU, Calif. -- Phil Nelson led a barrage from beyond the arc with career highs of 28 points and eight 3-pointers as Portland State defeated Pepperdine 93-81 Sunday.
The Vikings (5-4) made 17 3s, one shy of the school record, and connected on 51.5 percent of their attempts.
Pepperdine (3-8) had five players score in double-figures, led by Keion Bell and Lorne Jackson, who had 16 apiece.
Melvin Jones made five 3s for Portland State and finished with 17 points.
The Vikings were up 67-62 with less than nine minutes to play but went on a 12-0 run to put the game away.
Nelson hit four 3s in the first nine minutes of the game as Portland State jumped out to a 27-15 lead. The Vikings led 43-38 at halftime, but Pepperdine quickly tied it by scoring the first five points of the second half.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
Nelson hits for 28 as PSU wins at Pepperdine
The Portland Tribune, Dec 14, 2009
MALIBU, Calif. - The Portland State Vikings, led by Phil Nelson’s 3-point shooting and career-high 28 points, stayed hot on Sunday.
The Viks beat host Pepperdine 93-81 to hike their record to 5-4 and stretch their winning streak to four games.
PSU, over .500 for the first time, has averaged 91.0 points in its victories.
The Vikings made a season-high 17 3-pointers at Pepperdine, which was one shy of the school record.
Nelson, a junior forward, helped Portland State take a 27-15 lead after 8 1/3 minutes, making four 3-pointers and a fastbreak dunk.
At the half, PSU led 43-38.
Nelson had 11 points (making three more 3-pointers) in a key 13-4 second-half run.
After Pepperdine (3-8) pulled within 67-62 at the 9:24 mark, the Vikings outscored the Waves 17-4 over the next four minutes.
Nelson finished 10 of 15 from the field and a career-best 8 of 12 from 3-point range.
Guards Melvin Jones and Dominic Waters each scored 17 points and combined for 17 Viking assists.
“Phil carried us in the first half, and he had 28 points. He’s capable of doing that for us,” PSU coach Tyler Geving said.
Jamie Jones added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Viks, who will play at Saint Mary's at 7 p.m. Fuesday. Copyright 2009 Pamplin Media Group,
Portland State 93, Pepperdine 81: Nelson and Vikings shoot the lights out
By Special to The Oregonian
December 13, 2009, 9:36PM
MALIBU, Calif. -- Any curiosity about how the Portland State men's basketball team would respond to a zone defense was answered Sunday with a near-record performance by the Vikings' sharpshooters. PSU sank a season-high 17 three-pointers, one shy of the team record, to begin a four-game road trip with a 93-81 nonconference victory over Pepperdine at Firestone Fieldhouse. Junior forward Phil Nelson hit eight three-pointers, a career high, and finished with a game-high 28 points. "That was the first time we'd ever seen a zone this season," Vikings coach Tyler Geving said. "And, fortunately, it's one of those good and bad things. We shot a lot of threes, but the good thing is we can make a lot of threes. "We didn't do a very good job of getting the ball down low or to the high post, so we ended up shooting a lot of threes. So it wasn't really the game plan, but we also have a lot of good shooters." PSU's three-point total tied the Firestone Fieldhouse record and was nearly double the Vikings' season average entering the game. "We just moved the ball well," Nelson said. "We got a lot of wide-open shots and they were falling." Melvin Jones and Dominic Waters contributed 17 points apiece, including five three-pointers by Jones. Jamie Jones added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Nelson easily surpassed his previous season high of 15 points. "It was phenomenal," Geving said of Nelson's performance. "It was huge. He's got a reputation as a shooter and he did it today. He was getting lots of looks. ... A lot of it's because of the zone. I didn't want to play him inside; he's a good three-point shooter so I wanted him on the perimeter." PSU (5-4) never trailed after taking the lead less than five minutes into the game. The Vikings used a 10-point run to push their advantage to 12 midway through a first half in which they attempted 20 three-point shots. PSU's 43-38 halftime lead was quickly reduced to a 43-43 tie, but the lead returned to double figures when Nelson sank the Vikings' sixth three-pointer of the second half with 11:48 remaining. Improved rebounding helped the lead grow to as big as 17 points. Five Waves finished in double figures, led by Keion Bell and Lorne Jackson with 16 points each. Taylor Darby had 14 points and eight rebounds. The loss was the fifth in a row for Pepperdine (3-8) and first ever against PSU, which notched its fourth consecutive win. "One of the main keys has been defense and rebounding," Jones said of his team's recent success. "We don't have a problem scoring. Like today, we just find the guy with the hot hand." The Vikings have scored more than 80 points in each of their past six games.
Nelson leads 3-point barrage in Vikings' win
MALIBU, Calif. — Former McNary standout Phil Nelson made eight 3-pointers on his way to 28 points Sunday, and Portland State defeated Pepperdine 93-81 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
Nelson shot 10 of 15 from the field and 8 of 12 from behind the arc. He added five rebounds as the Vikings improved to 5-4.
PSU made 17 of 33 3-pointers, one short of the school record.
Dominic Waters and Melvin Jones scored 17 apiece and combined for 17 assists, and Jamie Jones had 10 points and nine rebounds for Portland State.
Lorne Jackson and Keion Bell each scored 16 points to pace Pepperdine (3-8).
Statesman Journal • December 14, 2009
Pepperdine gets buried by 3-point barrage
By The Associated Press
Updated: 12/13/2009 10:40:24 PM PST
Phil Nelson led a barrage from beyond the arc with career highs of 28 points and eight 3-pointers as visiting Portland State defeated Pepperdine 93-81 Sunday.
Pepperdine (3-8) had five players score in double-figures, led by Keion Bell and Lorne Jackson, who had 16 apiece. The Vikings (5-4) made 17 3s, one shy of the school record, and connected on 51.5 percent of their attempts. Melvin Jones made five 3s for Portland State and finished with 17 points.
The Vikings were up 67-62 with less than nine minutes to play but went on a 12-0 run to put the game away. Nelson hit four 3s in the first nine minutes of the game as Portland State jumped out to a 27-15 lead. The Vikings led 43-38 at halftime, but Pepperdine quickly tied it by scoring the first five points of the second half.
First for Lancers: win over a Div. I team
12:35 AM PST on Friday, December 11, 2009
The Associated Press
MALIBU — Davey Hopkins scored a layup with 8.2 seconds left to help lift California Baptist to a surprising 67-65 victory over Pepperdine on Thursday night.
It was an official game for Pepperdine (3-7), but an exhibition for Cal Baptist.
It is the first time the Lancers have defeated an NCAA Division I opponent.
After Keion Bell’s basket gave Pepperdine a 65-64 lead with 20 seconds remaining, Cal Baptist’s Larry Dew threw a lob pass to Hopkins, who laid the ball in.
The Waves turned the ball over on the next possession, and the Lancers’ Cesar Menjivar hit one of two free throws with 2.3 seconds left.
“We won that game on the defensive end tonight,” Cal Baptist coach Tim Collins. “We are a young team and will have some inconsistencies, but this was a big night and a good win for us.”
Mychel Thompson scored a season-high 22 points for Pepperdine, and Bell 21. Dew had 20 points for Cal Baptist.
Cal Baptist scored the first 12 points of the game. Pepperdine didn’t take its first lead until Lorne Jackson hit a short jumper to make it 30-28. The Lancers rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 261/2 minutes.
CAL BAPTIST (67) —Hopkins 3-9 0-0 7, Evans 1-3 6-8 8, Johnson 0-3 2-2 2, Dew 7-12 3-4 20, Von Wright 6-13 0-0 17, Tartir 1-4 0-0 3, Menjivar 3-9 2-3 9, Rose 0-1 0-0 0, Barrett 0-1 0-0 0, Ransome 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 21-57 14-19 67.
PEPPERDINE (65) —Thompson 9-18 0-0 22, Dupre’ 1-2 0-0 2, Clardy 0-0 0-0 0, Bell 8-13 5-6 21, Jackson 1-5 4-4 6, Lowery 0-0 0-0 0, Kerry 0-1 0-0 0, Willis 0-0 0-0 0, Darby 2-6 3-6 7, Moore 2-4 3-4 7, Agre 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-50 15-20 65.
Halftime—Cal Baptist 28-26. 3-Point goals—Cal Baptist 11-35 (Von Wright 5-11, Dew 3-5, Tartir 1-4, Hopkins 1-5, Menjivar 1-7, Barrett 0-1, Rose 0-1, Johnson 0-1), Pepperdine 4-9 (Thompson 4-6, Bell 0-1, Jackson 0-2). Fouled out—None. Rebounds—Cal Baptist 29 (Hopkins 5), Pepperdine 38 (Darby 9). Assists—Cal Baptist 15 (Dew 5), Pepperdine 9 (Jackson 4). Total fouls—Cal Baptist 19, Pepperdine 14.—672.
CAL BAPTIST-PEPPERDINE California Baptist upsets Pepperdine 67-65
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Davey Hopkins scored a layup with 8.2 seconds left to help lift California Baptist to a 67-65 victory at Pepperdine on Thursday night.After Keion Bell's basket gave Pepperdine a 65-64 lead with 20 seconds remaining, CBU's Larry Dew threw a lob pass to Hopkins, who laid the ball in. The Waves turned the ball over on the next possession, and the Lancers' Cesar Menjivar hit one of two free throws with 2.3 seconds left.Mychel Thompson scored a season-high 22 points for Pepperdine, while Bell posted 21. Dew had 20 points for CBU and Justus Von Wright added 17.CBU, an NAIA team, scored the first 12 points of the game. Pepperdine (3-7) didn't take its first lead until Lorne Jackson hit a short jumper with 19:05 left in the game, giving the Waves a 30-28 lead.The Lancers rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 2½ minutes.
Waves Fall to CBU, 67-65
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/10/2009
Pepperdine-California Baptist Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - Despite 22 points from junior forward Mychel Thompson and 21 from sophomore guard Keion Bell, the Pepperdine men's basketball team was upset by California Baptist of the NAIA, 67-65, in Firestone Fieldhouse on Thursday night.
Due to differences between NCAA and NAIA rules, Pepperdine (3-7) was playing this as an official game, while California Baptist was considering it an exhibition.
After a short jumper by Bell gave Pepperdine a 65-64 lead with 20 seconds remaining, CBU's Larry Dew threw a lob pass to Davey Hopkins, who laid the ball in with 8.2 seconds left. The Waves turned the ball over on the next possession, and the Lancers' Cesar Menjivar hit one of two free throws with 2.3 seconds left. A three-quarters-court heave by Pepperdine failed to connect at the buzzer.
Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) had a season high for points, and he also hit four three-pointers and collected seven rebounds. Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) scored 20-plus points for the eighth time in 10 games.
After Thompson and Bell, no one else from Pepperdine had more than seven points. Dew led the Lancers with 20 points.
The Waves got off to a forgettable start, missing their first two shots and committing six turnovers in the first five minutes as CBU broke out to a 12-0 lead.
Thompson began a 6-0 run with a three-pointer that cut the Lancers' lead to 16-12 with less than nine minutes to go in the half. Later, Bell had a 6-0 run all by himself, and his last basket tied the game at 22-22 with 2:48 left. Still, the Lancers went into the break with a 28-26 advantage.
The Waves scored the first six points of the second half and took their first lead of the game at 30-28 on a short jumper from the left baseline by sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS).
The Waves couldn't shake the Lancers, however, as it was still a two-point game at 53-51 with 6 1/2 minutes to play. A 7-0 run helped Pepperdine to its largest lead at 60-51 with less than four minutes left. It was still a seven-point lead at 63-56 with 2 1/2 minutes to go when CBU began its rally. The Lancers scored 11 of the game's final 13 points.
Although Pepperdine had a rebounding advantage of 38-29, CBU hit more three-pointers (11 to four) and outscored the Waves in points off turnovers 17-8.
Sophomore forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep), the Waves' second-leading scorer, sat out the game with a sprained ankle.
The Waves continue their four-game homestand this Sunday (Dec. 13) against Portland State at 2 p.m. Fans can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts.
latimes.com
SOUTHLAND ROUNDUP
Pepperdine loses at home to Fresno State, 80-72
Paul George, who originally signed a letter of intent with the Waves, scores 29 points to the lead the Bulldogs.
December 9, 2009
Fresno State 80, at Pepperdine 72: Paul George scored 24 of his career-high-tying 29 points in the second half as the Bulldogs (4-4) held off the Waves (3-6). George, who originally signed a letter of intent with Pepperdine, had 14 points during a 16-2 run to open the second half. Keion Bell had team highs of 24 points and seven assists for the Waves.
Waves Fall 80-72 to Fresno State
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/08/2009
Pepperdine-Fresno State Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - Two of the bright young stars on the West Coast put on a show Tuesday night, but Paul George and Fresno State outdueled Keion Bell and Pepperdine, 80-72, in men's basketball action at Firestone Fieldhouse.
Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS), a sophomore guard who entered the game as one of only three players in the nation averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and four assists, did nothing to harm that fact as he tallied 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
George (a sophomore forward who originally signed a letter-of-intent with Pepperdine) tied his career high with 29 points, and scored 24 in the second half as the Bulldogs rallied from a 39-36 halftime deficit.
The Waves lost their third straight game to drop to 3-6, while the Bulldogs improved to 4-4.
Pepperdine also got 15 points from sophomore forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) and 11 from junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep).
Pepperdine never trailed during an entertaining first half. The Waves quickly jumped out to an 8-0 lead as Suttle drained a three-pointer, sophomore center Corbin Moore (Cypress, Calif./Los Alamitos) scored on a short jumper and junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC) hit a three-pointer. Later in the half, the lead grew to as many as nine points, first at 30-21 with 5:40 to go when Bell scored a lay-up after collecting his own missed shot.
A late 8-0 run by Fresno State, capped by Steven Shepp's fifth three-pointer of the half, got the Bulldogs within one point at 35-34 with less than two minutes to go, and Pepperdine went into the break with a 39-36 lead.
George had a remarkable four minutes to start the second half, scoring 14 quick points, including four three-pointers. He keyed a 16-2 run to start the half that lifted Fresno State to an 11-point lead at 52-41.
Pepperdine wasn't out of it, however, as the Waves recovered with a 13-0 run that was fueled by two three-pointers by Thompson. That put the Waves back in front with a 54-52 lead with less than 12 minutes to play.
Fresno State's Greg Smith then had three dunks during an 8-1 run, putting the Bulldogs back ahead 60-55 with eight minutes left.
Pepperdine got as close as three points and had a shot to tie the game with 2 1/2 minutes left and trailing 70-67, but instead the Bulldogs scored six straight points to help ice the game.
The final statistics were fairly even. Pepperdine had a 42.0%-40.6% shooting edge, while Fresno State had advantages in turnovers (10-14) and rebounding (39-34).
The Waves continue their four-game homestand this Thursday (Dec. 10) against California Baptist at 7 p.m. Fans can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts. 
George leads Fresno State past Pepperdine 80-72
Associated Press
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 - 12:30 a.m. ET
MALIBU, Calif. -- Paul George scored 24 of his career-high-tying 29 points in the second half to lead Fresno State over Pepperdine 80-72 Tuesday night.
George, who originally signed a letter of intent with Pepperdine before landing at Fresno State, had 14 points, including four 3-pointers, during a 16-2 run to open the second half. That turned a 39-36 Pepperdine halftime lead into a 52-41 Bulldog advantage with 16 minutes to go in the game.
The Waves regained the lead at 54-52 thanks to a 13-0 run, but Fresno State's Greg Smith had three slam dunks during an 8-1 spurt that put the Bulldogs in front to stay at 60-55 with eight minutes to go.
Pepperdine's Keion Bell had team highs of 24 points and seven assists. Dane Suttle Jr. added 15 points and Mychel Thompson had 11.
'Dogs make waves in win over Pepperdine
Fresno State men pull away from Pepperdine to even record at 4-4.
Published online on Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009
The Fresno Bee
Paul George got on a roll and took the Fresno State men's basketball team with him Tuesday night.
George scored 24 of his career-high tying 29 points after halftime to spark the Bulldogs' 80-72 come-from-behind, nonconference victory over Pepperdine in Malibu.
George sank four 3-pointers and a layup during a 16-2 second-half-opening run that saw Fresno State (4-4) turn a 39-36 deficit into a 52-41 advantage at 16:19 of the second half.
"He was very special for 4-5 minutes there," Bulldogs coach Steve Cleveland said. "He got the feel of it, and when guys get like that you've got to let them go. But the key is he was running the floor. And our post players were running. When you do that, it forces teams to stay inside, and that creates the ability to hit the open 3."
Pepperdine (3-6) responded with a 13-0 run that gave it a 54-52 lead with 11:54 remaining. But the Bulldogs' Greg Smith had three dunks during an 8-1 spurt that put Fresno State in front to stay at 60-55 with 8 minutes left.
"In the last seven days the guys have bought into what it takes to be successful," Cleveland said. "They are playing with a purpose."
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to a showdown against Cleveland's former team -- Brigham Young (6-1) -- at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Save Mart Center.
"This is the kind of matchup this community has been asking for," Cleveland said. "I just hope they are there and in the seats creating a homecourt advantage."
George scored 24 of his career-high tying 29 points after halftime to spark the Bulldogs' 80-72 come-from-behind, nonconference victory over Pepperdine in Malibu.
George sank four 3-pointers and a layup during a 16-2 second-half-opening run that saw Fresno State (4-4) turn a 39-36 deficit into a 52-41 advantage at 16:19 of the second half.
"He was very special for 4-5 minutes there," Bulldogs coach Steve Cleveland said. "He got the feel of it, and when guys get like that you've got to let them go. But the key is he was running the floor. And our post players were running. When you do that, it forces teams to stay inside, and that creates the ability to hit the open 3."
Pepperdine (3-6) responded with a 13-0 run that gave it a 54-52 lead with 11:54 remaining. But the Bulldogs' Greg Smith had three dunks during an 8-1 spurt that put Fresno State in front to stay at 60-55 with 8 minutes left.
"In the last seven days the guys have bought into what it takes to be successful," Cleveland said. "They are playing with a purpose."
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to a showdown against Cleveland's former team -- Brigham Young (6-1) -- at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Save Mart Center.
"This is the kind of matchup this community has been asking for," Cleveland said. "I just hope they are there and in the seats creating a homecourt advantage."
WCC Power Rankings: 11/22-11/29 edition
by Eugene Tanner - AP
by Eugene Tanner - AP
While everyone knows that Gonzaga will be in the top spot in the Power Rankings, the WCC actually had some other teams competing for hardware this week.
Sometimes doing these Power Rankings can be a little bit of a grind, mostly due to the fact that it seems the same teams are always in the same spots. However, with the performance of Gonzaga, USD, and Portland, the WCC was officially fun this past week. In three separate tournaments, the WCC had one winner (Gonzaga) and two teams lose in championship games (USD and Portland). Slowly but surely, this conference is building depth and competition, and is doing a great job of building a solid national reputation with these performances. It was great hearing the national media gush over Portland the rest of the WCC. With that said, the most important thing for this conference is that there is improvement and consistency throughout the month of December. There will be some great match ups against power conference teams, and the more wins that everyone can pick up before WCC play, the better chance there will be for multiple bids in March.
1) Gonzaga (5-1): 76-72 win vs. Colorado; 74-61 win vs. Wisconsin; 61-59 win vs. Cincinnati
I really can't stress enough how impressed I was about the performance in Maui. I'm not as worried about the lack of bench production for the fact that I think that will develop throughout December and early January. However, this team better not be relaxing, because going up against Washington St. and Wake Forest this week will be incredibly difficult. If Gonzaga can get through this week unscathed, it's not unreasonable to expect to be 9-1 and facing a top 10 match up against Duke in the middle of the month.
2) Portland (5-1): 74-47 win vs. UCLA; 61-56 win vs. Minnesota; 84-66 loss vs. West Virginia
Portland put together an absolutely terrific performance in the 76 Classic. Not only did they demolish UCLA, (I'm still waiting for a formal apology from Jeff Goodman for ranking that back court ahead of the Zags back court) but the Pilots won an impressive game over Minnesota. That amounts to knocking off a highly ranked team and one of the greatest programs in NCAA history in back-to-back nights. I definitely would have liked to have seen a better performance against West Virginia, but Bob Huggins might just have a top 5 team on his hands. For all of this to matter in March, Portland must take care of business against Idaho and Nevada later this month, and also must give Washington a great game.
3) St. Mary's (4-1): 100-59 win vs. California Maritime
Not a huge week from the Gaels, but I like where this team is positioned heading into a huge group of games against San Jose St, Utah St, and Oregon. St. Mary's needs to keep developing the young bench, as it will be very important for some of these big non-conference games and of course for WCC play. However, Omar Samhan is having a terrific season, averaging 20.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, and he will be tough to handle in January and February. However, we will really know a lot more about this team in the middle of December after they complete that tough stretch of games.
4) USD (4-2): 76-64 win vs. Oklahoma; 72-65 win vs. Houston; 93-56 loss vs. Washington St.
I was totally prepared to move USD up to the third spot in the power rankings. Even though Oklahoma is a shell of the team they were last season, it was still an impressive victory. Following that up with a win against a solid Houston team had me thinking that the Toreros finally turned the corner on their inconsistent play. However, there is no way a team is moving up this list when they lose a game by 37 points. I understand Klay Thompson put on an epic scoring display, but there is no excuse to lose a game by that much. For this team to compete during WCC play, they will need a couple of guys to compliment the terrific back court of Brandon Johnson and De'Jon Jackson.
5) Pepperdine (3-4): 75-66 win vs. Hampton; 82-73 win vs. Monmouth; 86-82 loss vs. Wyoming
It probably wasn't publicized much, but Pepperdine did come away the winner of the World Vision Basketball Challenge. This was a round robin tournament hosted by the University of Wyoming, and although it didn't feature elite competition, I truly think that this is just a team that needs to learn how to win. Not surprisingly, Keion Bell came away with the MVP award in this tournament, and I will be stunned if he doesn't compete for the WCC POY. Bell is currently averaging 22.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.
6) Santa Clara (3-3): 88-72 loss vs. NAU; 74-67 win vs. Fresno St.
The one thing I like about this team is the fact that Kerry Keating is starting to give some of his younger guys more playing time. Chris Cunningham, Niyi Harrison, and Ray Cowels are all starting to see some action, and that is a nice young core of guys for Santa Clara to build around. Kevin Foster seems to be back on track academically, since he scored 25 points in the win over Fresno St. However, I still think this group is another year or two away from being competitive in this conference.
7) LMU (2-5): 79-65 loss @ Tulsa; 89-84 loss vs. UCSB
Although LMU lost games against two solid teams, I think I jumped the gun last week by moving them up the list so far. Much like Pepperdine, the Lions have the talent and depth to start competing at a high level, but they still have a long way to go before they learn how to win close games. However, with Drew Viney and a solid three guard lineup, this team has a very nice core to build around, and will certainly be a team that will scare Gonzaga, Portland, and St. Mary's by the end of January.
8) USF (2-4): 76-65 loss @ UCSB; 70-66 loss vs. Montana St; 91-75 loss @ Colorado St.
While USF was competitive in all three of these losses, it doesn't seem like this group is quite on the level of the rest of the conference. Dior Lowhorn continues to be an elite guy, but the supporting cast still hasn't caught up with him and Kwame Vaughn. However, keep an eye on Rashad Green. The sophomore guard scored a season-high 21 points against Colorado St, and is doing a nice job with the extra minutes he has been seeing recently. He is exactly the type of guy that the Dons need to emerge throughout the season.
Cal Accepts Bid to Play in Poinsettia Bowl
Golden Bears Earn School-Record Seventh Consecutive Postseason Invitation
Football Home
Dec. 6, 2009
Dec. 6 Jeff Tedford Press Conference Quotes
I really can't stress enough how impressed I was about the performance in Maui. I'm not as worried about the lack of bench production for the fact that I think that will develop throughout December and early January. However, this team better not be relaxing, because going up against Washington St. and Wake Forest this week will be incredibly difficult. If Gonzaga can get through this week unscathed, it's not unreasonable to expect to be 9-1 and facing a top 10 match up against Duke in the middle of the month.
2) Portland (5-1): 74-47 win vs. UCLA; 61-56 win vs. Minnesota; 84-66 loss vs. West Virginia
Portland put together an absolutely terrific performance in the 76 Classic. Not only did they demolish UCLA, (I'm still waiting for a formal apology from Jeff Goodman for ranking that back court ahead of the Zags back court) but the Pilots won an impressive game over Minnesota. That amounts to knocking off a highly ranked team and one of the greatest programs in NCAA history in back-to-back nights. I definitely would have liked to have seen a better performance against West Virginia, but Bob Huggins might just have a top 5 team on his hands. For all of this to matter in March, Portland must take care of business against Idaho and Nevada later this month, and also must give Washington a great game.
3) St. Mary's (4-1): 100-59 win vs. California Maritime
Not a huge week from the Gaels, but I like where this team is positioned heading into a huge group of games against San Jose St, Utah St, and Oregon. St. Mary's needs to keep developing the young bench, as it will be very important for some of these big non-conference games and of course for WCC play. However, Omar Samhan is having a terrific season, averaging 20.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, and he will be tough to handle in January and February. However, we will really know a lot more about this team in the middle of December after they complete that tough stretch of games.
4) USD (4-2): 76-64 win vs. Oklahoma; 72-65 win vs. Houston; 93-56 loss vs. Washington St.
I was totally prepared to move USD up to the third spot in the power rankings. Even though Oklahoma is a shell of the team they were last season, it was still an impressive victory. Following that up with a win against a solid Houston team had me thinking that the Toreros finally turned the corner on their inconsistent play. However, there is no way a team is moving up this list when they lose a game by 37 points. I understand Klay Thompson put on an epic scoring display, but there is no excuse to lose a game by that much. For this team to compete during WCC play, they will need a couple of guys to compliment the terrific back court of Brandon Johnson and De'Jon Jackson.
5) Pepperdine (3-4): 75-66 win vs. Hampton; 82-73 win vs. Monmouth; 86-82 loss vs. WyomingIt probably wasn't publicized much, but Pepperdine did come away the winner of the World Vision Basketball Challenge. This was a round robin tournament hosted by the University of Wyoming, and although it didn't feature elite competition, I truly think that this is just a team that needs to learn how to win. Not surprisingly, Keion Bell came away with the MVP award in this tournament, and I will be stunned if he doesn't compete for the WCC POY. Bell is currently averaging 22.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.
6) Santa Clara (3-3): 88-72 loss vs. NAU; 74-67 win vs. Fresno St.
The one thing I like about this team is the fact that Kerry Keating is starting to give some of his younger guys more playing time. Chris Cunningham, Niyi Harrison, and Ray Cowels are all starting to see some action, and that is a nice young core of guys for Santa Clara to build around. Kevin Foster seems to be back on track academically, since he scored 25 points in the win over Fresno St. However, I still think this group is another year or two away from being competitive in this conference.
7) LMU (2-5): 79-65 loss @ Tulsa; 89-84 loss vs. UCSB
Although LMU lost games against two solid teams, I think I jumped the gun last week by moving them up the list so far. Much like Pepperdine, the Lions have the talent and depth to start competing at a high level, but they still have a long way to go before they learn how to win close games. However, with Drew Viney and a solid three guard lineup, this team has a very nice core to build around, and will certainly be a team that will scare Gonzaga, Portland, and St. Mary's by the end of January.
8) USF (2-4): 76-65 loss @ UCSB; 70-66 loss vs. Montana St; 91-75 loss @ Colorado St.
While USF was competitive in all three of these losses, it doesn't seem like this group is quite on the level of the rest of the conference. Dior Lowhorn continues to be an elite guy, but the supporting cast still hasn't caught up with him and Kwame Vaughn. However, keep an eye on Rashad Green. The sophomore guard scored a season-high 21 points against Colorado St, and is doing a nice job with the extra minutes he has been seeing recently. He is exactly the type of guy that the Dons need to emerge throughout the season.
Cal Accepts Bid to Play in Poinsettia Bowl
Golden Bears Earn School-Record Seventh Consecutive Postseason Invitation
Football Home
Dec. 6, 2009
Dec. 6 Jeff Tedford Press Conference Quotes
BERKELEY - California, which will continue is school-record run of bowl appearances with its seventh consecutive postseason invitation, has accepted a bid to the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl and will face Utah on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. Kickoff will be at 5 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.
Cal finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record and tied for fifth place in the Pac-10 with a 5-4 mark. The Bears own a 5-1 bowl record during their current run under head coach Jeff Tedford, including last year's 24-17 win over Miami in the Emerald Bowl.
Overall, Cal will be making its 20th bowl appearance, with the Bears owning a 10-8-1 postseason record. Cal has twice played in bowl games in San Diego in recent years, having participated in the Holiday Bowl in 2004 and '06.
"We are looking forward to going to San Diego and playing in the Poinsettia Bowl," Tedford said.
"We've had great experiences in bowl games in San Diego in the past. We've always been treated very well, and the hospitality has been outstanding. We are looking forward to playing a quality opponent from the Mountain West Conference."The Bears are 2-0 vs. Mountain West Conference schools in bowls. Cal defeated BYU, 35-28, in the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl and downed Air Force, 42-36, in the 2007 Armed Forced Bowl behind an MVP performance from quarterback Kevin Riley.
Riley, now a junior, has started all 12 games this year and completed the regular season 189-of-346 for 2,636 yards and 17 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. His passing yardage is the ninth most in school history and he can move into fourth place on the Cal season list with a 200-yard effort in the bowl game.
Riley's favorite target has been sophomore Marvin Jones, who has 38 catches for 607 yards and six scores. Jones had his first career 100-yard game at Washington last Saturday, finishing with six receptions for 107 yards.
In the backfield, Cal runners have combined to rush for 2,107 yards, the seventh straight year the Bears have accumulated at least 2,000 yards after not hitting the mark the previous 11 seasons.
Junior Jahvid Best, who has missed the last three games after being injured against Oregon State Nov. 7, continues to pace the team with 867 yards (96.3 ypg). His replacement in the starting lineup, sophomore Shane Vereen, has 830 yards (69.2 ypg) and has averaged 148.0 ypg since taking over the lead role.Defensively, junior linebacker Mike Mohamed tops the Pac-10 with 105 total tackles (8.75 per game), in addition to having picked off a team-high three interceptions.
"The University of California is excited to be a participant in the Poinsettia Bowl for the first time," Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour said. "The Golden Bears and all our fans are thrilled for the opportunity to continue our run of bowl-game success in a way that represents the excellence of our student-athletes, coaches and staff, as well as the loyalty of our program's supporters."
Utah enters the Poinsettia Bowl with a 9-3 overall record, finishing third in the MWC behind TCU and BYU with a 6-2 league mark. The Utes have the longest active bowl win streak in the nation, having claimed their last eight bowl games dating back to 1999. Last year, they upended Alabama, 31-17, in the Sugar Bowl to complete a 13-0 campaign and finish with a No. 2 national ranking. This year, the Utes are ranked 23rd in the Associated Press poll and 24th in the ESPN/USA Today ratings, and feature both a 1,000-yard rusher (Eddie Wide, 1,032 yards) and receiver (David Reed, 1,085 yards).
Cal owns a 4-2 series lead over Utah, but the teams haven't met since the Utes prevailed, 31-24, in Salt Lake City in 2003. The Poinsettia Bowl is celebrating its fifth year this December. Navy defeated Colorado State, 51-30, in the inaugural game in 2005, and other results are: 2006 - TCU 37, Northern Illinois 7; 2007 - Utah 35, Navy 32; 2008 - TCU 17, Boise State 16.latimes.com
CHRIS DUFRESNE / ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Bowl picks, predictions and a few downright guesses
The 'want to be there' factor could come into play in several of this season's games.
CHRIS DUFRESNE / ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Bowl picks, predictions and a few downright guesses
The 'want to be there' factor could come into play in several of this season's games.
December 17, 2009
The best luck I've had with bowl picks, other than randomly drawing out of Bear Bryant's hat, is selecting winners based on the "want to be there" factor. Roses and poinsettias are both flowers, true, but which stem would you pick?Be attuned to programs that have an overinflated sense of entitlement and self. Consider the emotional states of 19-year-old sophomores who didn't sign letters of intent intending to play Dec. 26 in Detroit, no matter how you slice it (the title pizza sponsor). In 2004, UCLA thought it was going to play Notre Dame in the Insight Bowl -- (hey, not a bad matchup) until Texas knocked Cal out of the Rose Bowl, sending UCLA to Las Vegas to play Wyoming (not where the Bruins thought they should be). Wyoming won, 24-21. Last season presented a textbook case when Utah walloped Alabama in the Sugar Bowl after the Crimson Tide was knocked out of the national title game by Florida. The science behind this is, well, there is no science behind it. It doesn't work for all matchups, yet it's probably as effective as crunching third-down conversion ratios. When all else fails, try rock-paper-scissors, or do what most of us "experts" do: guess. Chris Dufresne
The best luck I've had with bowl picks, other than randomly drawing out of Bear Bryant's hat, is selecting winners based on the "want to be there" factor. Roses and poinsettias are both flowers, true, but which stem would you pick?Be attuned to programs that have an overinflated sense of entitlement and self. Consider the emotional states of 19-year-old sophomores who didn't sign letters of intent intending to play Dec. 26 in Detroit, no matter how you slice it (the title pizza sponsor). In 2004, UCLA thought it was going to play Notre Dame in the Insight Bowl -- (hey, not a bad matchup) until Texas knocked Cal out of the Rose Bowl, sending UCLA to Las Vegas to play Wyoming (not where the Bruins thought they should be). Wyoming won, 24-21. Last season presented a textbook case when Utah walloped Alabama in the Sugar Bowl after the Crimson Tide was knocked out of the national title game by Florida. The science behind this is, well, there is no science behind it. It doesn't work for all matchups, yet it's probably as effective as crunching third-down conversion ratios. When all else fails, try rock-paper-scissors, or do what most of us "experts" do: guess. Chris Dufresne
Saturday
New Mexico: Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6) -- Pat Hill just received the mother of all pick-me-uppers: a contract extension. Winner: Fresno State St. Petersburg: Central Florida (8-4) vs. Rutgers (8-4) -- The Big Ten was 1-6 in bowls last year and might invite Rutgers to become its 12th member. Winner: Central Florida.
Sunday
New Orleans: Middle Tennessee (9-3) vs. Southern Miss (7-5) -- Sun Belt wins unless it blows a fan belt. The Blue Raiders are led by reindeer-fast quarterback Dwight Dasher. Winner: Middle Tennessee
Tuesday
Las Vegas: Brigham Young (10-2) vs. Oregon State (8-4) -- Call this game a "push." BYU is making its fifth straight appearance and has no players left to marry. Oregon State is disappointed not to be playing in the Rose Bowl. Winner: Oregon State \
Wednesday
Poinsettia: Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4) -- Cal hoped to dethrone USC and play in the Rose Bowl but ends up playing the team that beat the Trojans in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl. Winner: Utah
Jahvid Best to miss bowl game for Cal
Dec 16, 11:52 pm EST
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP)—California star tailback Jahvid Best will not play in the Poinsettia Bowl as he continues his recovery from a frightening fall and concussion that sidelined him last month.
Coach Jeff Tedford said Wednesday that Best is feeling better since the injury against Oregon State that knocked him out and left him with a sore back on Nov. 7. But Tedford says there’s not enough time to get him back into “game-ready form” before the game next Wednesday against Utah.
Best missed the final three games of the regular season and has not practiced since the injury.
Best is one of the most dynamic running backs in the country. He finished the season with 16 touchdowns and 867 yards rushing. He has not decided whether to return to Cal for his senior season.
Dec 16, 11:52 pm EST
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP)—California star tailback Jahvid Best will not play in the Poinsettia Bowl as he continues his recovery from a frightening fall and concussion that sidelined him last month.
Coach Jeff Tedford said Wednesday that Best is feeling better since the injury against Oregon State that knocked him out and left him with a sore back on Nov. 7. But Tedford says there’s not enough time to get him back into “game-ready form” before the game next Wednesday against Utah.
Best missed the final three games of the regular season and has not practiced since the injury.
Best is one of the most dynamic running backs in the country. He finished the season with 16 touchdowns and 867 yards rushing. He has not decided whether to return to Cal for his senior season.
Updated: December 17, 2009, 12:14 AM ET
Best hasn't practiced since injury
Associated Press
BERKELEY, Calif. -- California star tailback Jahvid Best will not play in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl as he continues his recovery from a frightening fall and concussion that sidelined him last month.
Coach Jeff Tedford said Wednesday that Best is feeling better since the injury against Oregon State that knocked him out and left him with a sore back on Nov. 7. But Tedford says there's not enough time to get him back into "game-ready form" before the game next Wednesday against Utah.
Best missed the final three games of the regular season and has not practiced since the injury.
Best is one of the most dynamic running backs in the country. He finished the season with 16 touchdowns and 867 yards rushing. He has not decided whether to return to Cal for his senior season.
Best done at Cal?
December, 17, 2009
Dec 17 9:12 am ET
By Ted Miller
That spectacular and then terrifying dive, flip and fall that California running back Jahvid Best took against Oregon State on Nov. 7 might be the junior's final play in a Bears uniform. Best has been ruled out of playing in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23 against Utah because he's not yet fully recovered from the concussion and back injuries he suffered against the Beavers. Best, a potential NFL first-round draft pick this spring, has submitted his paperwork to the NFL draft advisory committee. The deadline for early entry is Jan. 15.
"Right now, I sent that in just to get information," Best told the Contra Costa Times. "After the bowl game, I'll sit down with my family and coaches and make a decision. As of now, I'm completely on top of the fence."Cal coach Jeff Tedford said Best hasn't had any setbacks and his rehab is going smoothly. He might have played had the Bears' bowl game been scheduled after Christmas. Shane Vereen, a sophomore, has been a more than capable replacement for Best, rushing for 444 yards and four touchdowns in three games as the starter. He likely will step into the starting role next fall if Best opts to enter the draft.
December, 17, 2009
Dec 17 9:12 am ET
By Ted Miller
That spectacular and then terrifying dive, flip and fall that California running back Jahvid Best took against Oregon State on Nov. 7 might be the junior's final play in a Bears uniform. Best has been ruled out of playing in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23 against Utah because he's not yet fully recovered from the concussion and back injuries he suffered against the Beavers. Best, a potential NFL first-round draft pick this spring, has submitted his paperwork to the NFL draft advisory committee. The deadline for early entry is Jan. 15.
"Right now, I sent that in just to get information," Best told the Contra Costa Times. "After the bowl game, I'll sit down with my family and coaches and make a decision. As of now, I'm completely on top of the fence."Cal coach Jeff Tedford said Best hasn't had any setbacks and his rehab is going smoothly. He might have played had the Bears' bowl game been scheduled after Christmas. Shane Vereen, a sophomore, has been a more than capable replacement for Best, rushing for 444 yards and four touchdowns in three games as the starter. He likely will step into the starting role next fall if Best opts to enter the draft.
The Underrated Players of the Year
December, 16, 2009
Dec 16
By Ted Miller
Not everybody gets invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony or earns All-America or all-conference honors. While stars -- playmakers on both sides of the ball -- are important, a team often thrives because of the lunch pail guys, players who do their jobs quietly and reliably off to the side and away from media and fan adulation. Who played well in the shadows this season? Here's a team-by-team list with their "Underrated Player of the Year."
California RB Shane Vereen: Vereen, a sophomore, rushed for 830 yards and 10 touchdowns as Jahvid Best's backup and then the Bears' starter when Best went down with a concussion. He rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns in the Big Game against Stanford. He also caught 22 passes for 224 yards, ranking third on the Bears, with two touchdowns.
Davis shines as Simi Valley rolls
By Sean Ceglinsky
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
For those who don’t follow Ventura County basketball very closely, Jonathan Davis might be an unfamiliar name. If he continues playing well, similar to the way did on Tuesday night, the 6-foot-7 junior from Simi Valley High will be about as well-known as they come.
In an opening-round game of the 25th annual Simi Valley Tip-off Classic, Davis did a little bit of everything for the Pioneers in their 94-34 victory over San Fernando, scoring 13 of his game-high 19 points in the first half to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.
“We need him to be the guy for us,’’ said Simi Valley coach Christian Aurand, who lost his top two players, Lorne Jackson and Michael Meza, from a season ago to graduation. “Jonathan understands that there’s going to be times when we need him to put us on his back.’’
Davis did just that in the opening minutes against the Tigers (0-1), converting a pair of layups to give Simi Valley an 8-4 lead with 5:21 left in the first quarter.
Minutes later, he did something that won’t show up in any box score, harassing Margarito Pelayo at midcourt to create a turnover that led to a C.J. Faulwell layup. Davis added a rebound and a basket to extend the lead to 15-7 with 3:16 left in the first quarter.
“Whatever it takes to win,’’ Davis said.
He was just getting warmed up. With seconds left in the first quarter, Davis dribbled the ball the length of the floor for the Pioneers (1-0) and drew the defense toward him before passing to an open Nick Bruen, who knocked down a 3-pointer to give Simi Valley a 22-point lead at the end of one quarter.
“What can I say? Jonathan makes plays all over the court,’’ Pioneers assistant coach Ryan Moore said. “During practice, he plays all five positions for us. You saw it tonight, he can do everything. There’s a reason why 20 to 30 colleges call us on a weekly basis about him.’’
Pepperdine, Penn and UC Riverside were a few of the schools in attendance on Tuesday night.
And Davis didn’t do anything to disappoint the scouts during the second quarter. San Fernando had no answer for him as his back-to-back layups increased the lead to 45-13 with 4:57 left before intermission. Another easy bucket made it a 37-point lead with 2:43 left before halftime.
Make no mistake, Davis had help. The Pioneers defense was stifling, limiting the Tigers to three baskets during the second quarter. Football standout Matt Matulatis even got in on the act, converting a layup to give Simi Valley a 59-17 lead at the break.
It was more of the same in the second half. Davis made a layup, followed it with a nice pass to Bruen, then got to work underneath the basket. Davis scored on a left-handed bank shot and used his off hand to make a nice hook shot to give the Pioneers a 69-19 lead with 5:21 left in the third quarter.
“I came out tonight, I think we all came out tonight to show that we mean business,’’ said Davis, who sat out the entire fourth quarter. “We’re not here to play any games or mess around. We wanted to come out and get that first win underneath our belts.’’
Everyone who played for Simi Valley scored.
Faulwell and Bruen had each finished with 14 points. Grant Keller and Austin Hawk had nine points apiece. Brandon Behne and Joey Brinton had eight apiece. Anthony Mullinax had five and Danny Cox finished with six points and eight steals.
“Jonathan was a spark for us. He got after things tonight and that was nice to see,’’ Aurand said. “We wanted him to come out and be aggressive and he was. If he keeps that up, he’s going to give teams fits this year. We’re going to go as far as he can take us.”
By Sean Ceglinsky
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
For those who don’t follow Ventura County basketball very closely, Jonathan Davis might be an unfamiliar name. If he continues playing well, similar to the way did on Tuesday night, the 6-foot-7 junior from Simi Valley High will be about as well-known as they come.
In an opening-round game of the 25th annual Simi Valley Tip-off Classic, Davis did a little bit of everything for the Pioneers in their 94-34 victory over San Fernando, scoring 13 of his game-high 19 points in the first half to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.
“We need him to be the guy for us,’’ said Simi Valley coach Christian Aurand, who lost his top two players, Lorne Jackson and Michael Meza, from a season ago to graduation. “Jonathan understands that there’s going to be times when we need him to put us on his back.’’Davis did just that in the opening minutes against the Tigers (0-1), converting a pair of layups to give Simi Valley an 8-4 lead with 5:21 left in the first quarter.
Minutes later, he did something that won’t show up in any box score, harassing Margarito Pelayo at midcourt to create a turnover that led to a C.J. Faulwell layup. Davis added a rebound and a basket to extend the lead to 15-7 with 3:16 left in the first quarter.
“Whatever it takes to win,’’ Davis said.
He was just getting warmed up. With seconds left in the first quarter, Davis dribbled the ball the length of the floor for the Pioneers (1-0) and drew the defense toward him before passing to an open Nick Bruen, who knocked down a 3-pointer to give Simi Valley a 22-point lead at the end of one quarter.
“What can I say? Jonathan makes plays all over the court,’’ Pioneers assistant coach Ryan Moore said. “During practice, he plays all five positions for us. You saw it tonight, he can do everything. There’s a reason why 20 to 30 colleges call us on a weekly basis about him.’’
Pepperdine, Penn and UC Riverside were a few of the schools in attendance on Tuesday night.
And Davis didn’t do anything to disappoint the scouts during the second quarter. San Fernando had no answer for him as his back-to-back layups increased the lead to 45-13 with 4:57 left before intermission. Another easy bucket made it a 37-point lead with 2:43 left before halftime.
Make no mistake, Davis had help. The Pioneers defense was stifling, limiting the Tigers to three baskets during the second quarter. Football standout Matt Matulatis even got in on the act, converting a layup to give Simi Valley a 59-17 lead at the break.
It was more of the same in the second half. Davis made a layup, followed it with a nice pass to Bruen, then got to work underneath the basket. Davis scored on a left-handed bank shot and used his off hand to make a nice hook shot to give the Pioneers a 69-19 lead with 5:21 left in the third quarter.
“I came out tonight, I think we all came out tonight to show that we mean business,’’ said Davis, who sat out the entire fourth quarter. “We’re not here to play any games or mess around. We wanted to come out and get that first win underneath our belts.’’
Everyone who played for Simi Valley scored.
Faulwell and Bruen had each finished with 14 points. Grant Keller and Austin Hawk had nine points apiece. Brandon Behne and Joey Brinton had eight apiece. Anthony Mullinax had five and Danny Cox finished with six points and eight steals.
“Jonathan was a spark for us. He got after things tonight and that was nice to see,’’ Aurand said. “We wanted him to come out and be aggressive and he was. If he keeps that up, he’s going to give teams fits this year. We’re going to go as far as he can take us.”
latimes.com/sports/college/basketball/la-sp-plaschke13-2009dec13,0,2972258.column
latimes.com
UCLA's Tyler Trapani brings the John Wooden legacy home
The great-grandson of the legendary coach is a walk-on who rarely plays for the Bruins, but his attitude and actions reflect the principles that made Wooden, and his teams, so great.
Bill Plaschke
December 13, 2009
Bill Plaschke
December 13, 2009
Thirty-seven seconds remaining, UCLA down by 20, the coach stares at the far end of the bench, calls for the passing of the torch. "Tyler!" Ben Howland shouts. And here he comes, scurrying to the scorer's table and sprinting onto the court, never mistaking activity for achievement, a little thing making a big thing happen. Wooden's kid, playing basketball for UCLA in the Wooden Classic. John Wooden's great-grandson, the only relative of the great coach ever to suit up for Bruins, playing for his "Pa-Pa." "This is my heritage," says 19-year-old Tyler Trapani. "That's my boy," whispers 99-year-old John Wooden. It happened Saturday at the Honda Center, at the end of UCLA's 72-54 loss to Mississippi State, a brief but dazzling slant of light across a darkened afternoon. For a second consecutive year, the Wooden Classic game ended with an appearance by Wooden's living legacy, a sophomore guard known for his -- surprise -- work ethic and wisdom. For two years, this has been the only game in which Trapani has played. For two years, this has been his entire season in one minute. He is a non-scholarship player, the last guy on the bench, a 6-foot, stubbly-bearded plug of a kid from Simi Valley who shows up early and stays late and takes every hit. "I came to college to learn, and that's what I'm doing," Trapani says. He has learned he is not good enough to play big minutes for a big-time college basketball team, but that there's no shame in trying. "Every day, I just try to get better," he says. He has learned that the burden of a famous relative is not a burden at all, but an inspiration. "All these years watching my great-grandfather's films, now maybe he'll get to watch mine," he says. And he has learned timing is everything. Last year he played the final minute of a blowout victory over DePaul, but Wooden was being taken downstairs for the trophy ceremony and didn't see it. "It sounded good," Wooden recalls with a smile. On Saturday, Coach isn't strong enough for the trophy ceremony, so he remains in his wheelchair in his midcourt suite as the margin grows and the clock ticks and the family wonders. And then it happens, Trapani is summoned into the game, 37 seconds remaining, the arena barely half full, his energy filling the joint. He makes a good pass. He grabs a loose ball. He starts a fastbreak. And, in the final seconds, only when he is wide open and there are no other options, he throws up a three-point attempt. It barely catches the front of the rim, just misses, the remaining fans erupting in a giant sigh that nearly drowns out the buzzer. Trapani doesn't wince, doesn't even frown, simply turns to jump in line to congratulate Mississippi State. "The experience of a lifetime," he says. Upstairs, his great-grandfather was saying its about more than just the minute. "He is not the best athlete out there, but he is getting an education, he is growing and learning, and I'm so very proud of him for that," Wooden, his voice dulled by time, says softly.In the locker room later, for the first time all afternoon -- all season? -- Howland smiles. "Putting Tyler in the game there, it was the right thing to do," says the man who has nurtured Wooden's legacy as well as any UCLA coach. "The kid plays hard all year, he deserves a chance, and this is a great day to give it to him.
"In the stands, his parents, Paul and Cathleen Trapani, are saying that the torch burns with more than basketball. "He's carrying on his great-grandfather's character," Paul says. "Even when times aren't so great, he's showing that character. "Indeed, Trapani could have played more minutes for a lower-division school, maybe even received a scholarship, but he chose UCLA anyway. Instead of running from the legend, he embraced it. "I figured this would be the best place for my education," he says. "I don't care what anybody says. "And when they do say something? "I tell them, 'Think what you want, I'm here to learn. "Once Trapani arrived, he told only Howland about his background. Not even the assistant coaches knew, and they initially marveled at this hustling walk-on before being informed of his heritage. "I know I'm representing my great-grandfather," Trapani says. "But I've got to do that while being me. "As an 8-year-old, Trapani once scoffed at some backyard basketball advice from his great-grandfather, telling Wooden, "I know that already. "His father was so embarrassed, he ushered the child inside and scolded him. "Don't you know that's the greatest coach in basketball history?" his father said. "No, that's just Pa-Pa," the son said. They were together again Saturday, handing off history, two lifetimes linked by one minute, the most splendid of minutes, quick but not hurried. bill.plaschke@latimes.comtwitter.com/billplaschke
Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
Cal Poly Rallies Past Pepperdine, 83-77
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/05/2009
Pepperdine-Cal Poly Box Score
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - A 19-point first-half lead turned out not to be enough as the Pepperdine men's basketball team suffered an 83-77 loss at Cal Poly in Mott Gymnasium on Saturday night.
The Waves (3-5) jumped out to a 28-9 lead after 12 minutes but the Mustangs (2-5) battled back with a big second half. Junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC) scored a career-high 19 points and pulled down a team-high-tying seven rebounds. He went 7-for-11 from the field. Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) had 18 points and five assists.
Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) scored a season-high 12 points and also had seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) contributed 11 points.
The Waves got off to an enormously successful start, as Dupre' had six points in a 9-0 run that gave Pepperdine a double-digit lead at 14-4 with 13:04 left. A 10-0 run was capped by a steal and a dunk by Bell that upped the lead to 24-7 with 9:36 to go. Bell later fed sophomore forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) for a lay-up that gave Pepperdine its largest lead of the half of 19 points at 28-9 with 8:10 to go.
Cal Poly picked things up offensively late in the half, however, and capitalized on a couple of Pepperdine mistakes. Still, the Waves set a season high for points in the first half and went into the break with a 41-31 lead. Dupre' led the way with 12 points in the first half, and he was one of five Waves that scored at least six points.
The Mustangs continued to chip away at the lead early in the second half, though the Waves still led by five at 59-54 with 10:25 to go after Bell scored on a lay-up.
Over the next four minutes, however, it was all Cal Poly as the Mustangs went from five points down to five points up at 64-59 with a 10-0 run. Dupre' finally put a stop to it with a three-pointer, but Cal Poly scored six more points to pull ahead 70-62 with less than four minutes left.
The Waves got as close as three points in the final minute but the Mustangs hit enough of their free throws to seal the win. The Mustangs had a slight edge in shooting percentage for the game (46.6%-45.3%), but they made 18 of their 31 second-half shots (58.1%). They got a game-high 22 points from Shawn Lewis.
Freshman guard Joshua Lowery (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS), who started the first seven games, was out of the lineup for the first time and did not play after spraining an ankle during practice this week. Dupre' made his first start of the season and second of his career.
After five straight games away from Malibu, the Waves begin a four-game homestand this Tuesday (Dec. 8) against Fresno State at 7 p.m. Fans can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts.
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/05/2009
Pepperdine-Cal Poly Box Score
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - A 19-point first-half lead turned out not to be enough as the Pepperdine men's basketball team suffered an 83-77 loss at Cal Poly in Mott Gymnasium on Saturday night.
The Waves (3-5) jumped out to a 28-9 lead after 12 minutes but the Mustangs (2-5) battled back with a big second half. Junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC) scored a career-high 19 points and pulled down a team-high-tying seven rebounds. He went 7-for-11 from the field. Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) had 18 points and five assists.
Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) scored a season-high 12 points and also had seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) contributed 11 points.
The Waves got off to an enormously successful start, as Dupre' had six points in a 9-0 run that gave Pepperdine a double-digit lead at 14-4 with 13:04 left. A 10-0 run was capped by a steal and a dunk by Bell that upped the lead to 24-7 with 9:36 to go. Bell later fed sophomore forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) for a lay-up that gave Pepperdine its largest lead of the half of 19 points at 28-9 with 8:10 to go.
Cal Poly picked things up offensively late in the half, however, and capitalized on a couple of Pepperdine mistakes. Still, the Waves set a season high for points in the first half and went into the break with a 41-31 lead. Dupre' led the way with 12 points in the first half, and he was one of five Waves that scored at least six points.
The Mustangs continued to chip away at the lead early in the second half, though the Waves still led by five at 59-54 with 10:25 to go after Bell scored on a lay-up.Over the next four minutes, however, it was all Cal Poly as the Mustangs went from five points down to five points up at 64-59 with a 10-0 run. Dupre' finally put a stop to it with a three-pointer, but Cal Poly scored six more points to pull ahead 70-62 with less than four minutes left.
The Waves got as close as three points in the final minute but the Mustangs hit enough of their free throws to seal the win. The Mustangs had a slight edge in shooting percentage for the game (46.6%-45.3%), but they made 18 of their 31 second-half shots (58.1%). They got a game-high 22 points from Shawn Lewis.
Freshman guard Joshua Lowery (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS), who started the first seven games, was out of the lineup for the first time and did not play after spraining an ankle during practice this week. Dupre' made his first start of the season and second of his career.
After five straight games away from Malibu, the Waves begin a four-game homestand this Tuesday (Dec. 8) against Fresno State at 7 p.m. Fans can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts.
Dec 29, 2008
Pepperdine Snaps Losing Streak, Beats Coppin State
Pepperdine Snaps Losing Streak, Beats Coppin State
HONOLULU (AP) ― Lorne Jackson made a driving layup with six seconds left to lead Pepperdine to a 58-56 win over Coppin State Monday in a consolation game at the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. The Waves (2-12) snapped a 12-game losing streak dating back to Nov. 16 and will play in Tuesday's fifth-place game. The Eagles (1-10) dropped their 10th straight and will play in the seventh-place game. Coppin State's Tywain McKee made the second of two free throws to tie it at 56 with 42 seconds left. Jackson missed a 16-foot jumper with 19 seconds to play, but the Waves kept possession after the a Coppin State player knocked the ball out of bounds. Jackson then drove the lane, splitting a pair of defenders to lay it in with his right hand. Mychel Thompson led Pepperdine with 18 points, Dane Suttle Jr. added 15 points and Jackson had 10. McKee led all scorers with 21 points.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Varsity Times Insider
Times reporters blog about high school sports across the Southland
Basketball: Pepperdine making push for Simi Valley's Jackson
April 13, 2008
Times reporters blog about high school sports across the Southland
Basketball: Pepperdine making push for Simi Valley's Jackson
April 13, 2008
Simi Valley point guard Lorne Jackson is down to Pepperdine and George Mason with just a couple days left before Wednesday's signing day.
Jackson said Pepperdine had a slight edge before he took the court for Sunday's Battle of the Valley all-star game at Cal State Northridge.
I make Pepperdine the favorite because Waves assistant Marty Wilson is a former Simi Valley player who isn't about to lose out on a Pioneer player.
-- Eric Sondheimer
Jackson said Pepperdine had a slight edge before he took the court for Sunday's Battle of the Valley all-star game at Cal State Northridge.
I make Pepperdine the favorite because Waves assistant Marty Wilson is a former Simi Valley player who isn't about to lose out on a Pioneer player.
-- Eric Sondheimer
Losses mounting for young Waves
Despite pressure from New Mexico State's 2-3 defensive zone, Jonathan Dupre managed to score 18 points for the Waves.
By Seth Rubinroit / Special to The Malibu Times
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 1:18 PM PST
Despite pressure from New Mexico State's 2-3 defensive zone, Jonathan Dupre managed to score 18 points for the Waves.
By Seth Rubinroit / Special to The Malibu Times
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 1:18 PM PST
The string of losses continued for the Pepperdine University men's basketball team, which was defeated for the sixth game in a row Friday night, 78-72, by the New Mexico State Aggies (4-6). The Waves (3-9) have not won a game since defeating Monmouth on Nov. 28.Sophomore guard Keion Bell led the Waves with 19 points, and added five rebounds. He currently ranks third in the nation in total points scored. However, he only made three of his 10 shots in the second half, and missed all five of his free throws in the game. Jonathan Dupre added 18 points and 6 rebounds for the Waves, and Dane Suttle Jr. had 11 points. Mychel Thompson and Tanner Kerry led Pepperdine with eight rebounds apiece, and Lorne Jackson paced the Waves with five assists. Down the stretch, the Waves' lack of experience was glaring, having on their roster no seniors and only two juniors who played more than seven minutes on Friday. Most notably, with 47 seconds left in the game, and the Waves down by six points, Bell missed a free throw, and the ball was rebounded by the Aggies' Hamidu Rahman. But, instead of immediately fouling Rahman, who was 2-8 from the free throw line, the Waves waited and fouled Jahmar Young, who made all 12 of his free throws in the game, including six in the final minute. “We wanted to foul their worst free throw shooter, but they did a good job of getting it to their best free throw shooter, and he made them all,”
Pepperdine sophomore Dane Suttle Jr. said. Pepperdine simply could not stop the athletic New Mexico State guards from scoring. Young, a junior, led the Aggies with 27 points, and senior Jonathan Gibson added 24 points. The Waves also struggled to keep 6-foot, 11-inch-tall, 255-pound sophomore center Rahman from getting rebounds. Rahman had 17 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds and several in the final minutes.“That is where we have to grow,” associate head coach Marty Wilson said. “We are a young, inexperienced team. In certain situations, we have to know that we need to block out and get a rebound. We have to get better at that.”For most of the game, the Aggies employed a 2-3 defensive zone, leaving Pepperdine's shooters open. The Waves capitalized, making 11 of their 27 three-point attempts.“[Coach Tom Asbury] told us to move the ball around, use ball fakes, make the defense shift, and attack the middle because that is the weak part of the zone,” Waves' junior Jonathan Dupre said. “I think we executed pretty well. We just need to keep knocking down shots.”
Pepperdine's next home game is Jan. 3 against the University of Miami Hurricanes at 4 p.m. The Hurricanes (11-1) play in the Atlantic Coast Conference with perennial basketball powerhouses Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forrest. Their only loss was a one-point defeat on the road against Boston College. Senior forward Dwayne Collins leads the Hurricanes with averages of 12.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
