Men's Hoops Faces USD, SMC on Road
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 01/13/2009
Pepperdine Men's Basketball Game Notes
UPCOMING — The rapidly improving Pepperdine men’s basketball team has won three of its last four games after a rough start, including a victory over local rival Loyola Marymount to start West Coast Conference play. The Waves must now take one of their most challenging WCC road swings, going down and up the state with contests at San Diego and Saint Mary’s, a pair of NCAA Tournament teams from last season. Underclassmen are dominating the young Pepperdine lineup, as freshmen and sophomores are scoring more than 86% of the points.
GAME #18 — Thursday (Jan. 15) at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif.: Pepperdine (4-13, 1-0) at San Diego (10-7, 2-0) at 7 p.m.
GAME #19 — Saturday (Jan. 17) at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif.: Pepperdine at Saint Mary’s (15-1, 2-0) at 5 p.m. The Gaels are ranked #25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
ON TELEVISION — The Waves’ game at Saint Mary’s will be shown on Comcast SportsNet California. Greg Papa and Dan Belluomini are the announcers.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 24th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Non-televised 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 WaveCasts 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.
SAN DIEGO — Pepperdine is 52-31 all-time against San Diego. However, the Toreros have won eight straight in the series and five consecutive in San Diego. USD has ended Pepperdine’s season at the WCC Tournament in each of the last three seasons. Tom Asbury went 13-1 against San Diego in his first stint as head coach.SAINT MARY’S — Pepperdine is 68-50 all-time against Saint Mary’s. The Gaels have won nine of the last 10 games. The lone Pepperdine win in that stretch was in Moraga in 2007. Tom Asbury is 15-1 against Saint Mary’s (14-1 as Pepperdine’s head coach).
LAST GAME — Pepperdine continued its home-court dominance of local rival Loyola Marymount as the Waves pulled off a 59-57 win on Saturday (Jan. 10) in a game televised by ESPNU. It was the Waves’ 11th straight home win over the Lions, and their 21st in the last 23 meetings overall. Keion Bell scored a team-high 15 points and Mychel Thompson and Dane Suttle Jr. each scored 12. Pepperdine led 38-27 early in the second half but went scoreless for eight minutes and LMU claimed a 42-38 advantage. The Waves took the lead back for good with a 7-0 run and later held LMU scoreless for five minutes to take a nine-point lead in the final minute of play.ROTATION — Among the 10 players that got into the game against Loyola Marymount, seven were freshmen or sophomores and six weren’t on the roster last year ... Pepperdine has been starting four freshmen and one sophomore, and has played five freshmen on the court at one time on an occasional basis.
FRESHMAN SCORING — Last year, freshmen scored 63.6% of Pepperdine’s points. It looks like the new group of freshmen will lead the way in 2008-09 as well. Right now they account for 58.7% of the scoring, compared to 27.5% by the sophomores and 13.8% by the seniors.
QUICK HITS — Pepperdine has led at halftime in each of the last five games. The Waves led at the half in only three of the first 12 games of the season ... The Waves are shooting 78% from the foul line in their victories, 68% from the line in their losses ... Pepperdine’s shooting from the field has risen in three straight games ... Dane Suttle Jr. is averaging 12.0 ppg in the last four games ... Lorne Jackson had 15 assists in the first 13 games, then has had 16 in the last four ... Taylor Darby is averaging 9.8 rebounds over the last five games.INJURY UPDATE — Senior point guard Ryan Holmes suffered a sprained knee two minutes into the New Mexico State game on Nov. 21 and missed 12 straight games. He was attempting a lay-up but an Aggie player landed on him. One of just three upperclassmen on the squad, the absence of Holmes’ experience and steady point guard play was felt by the young Waves. He returned to the floor on Jan. 10 vs. Loyola Marymount and played eight minutes. ... Sophomore forward Jonathan Dupre' suffered a sprained ankle against Georgia Tech on Dec. 20 and has not played in the last five games.
AGRE OUT — Sophomore center Denis Agre, in his first season at Pepperdine after transferring from Central Arizona College, is academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. He averaged 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds and started seven of the first 16 games.
STAT LEADERS — Taylor Darby is fourth in the WCC in rebounding (7.6) ... Keion Bell is tied for fifth in steals (1.47), sixth in free throw percentage (.766) and 18th in scoring (10.8) ... Dane Suttle Jr. is fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.426) and three-pointers made (1.71) ... Rico Tucker is 11th in assists (2.47) ... Mychel Thompson is 15th in scoring (11.1).
SEASON NOTABLES — The win over Cal State Monterey Bay gave the Waves their first victory in a season opener since 2001-02 ... Veteran broadcaster Al Epstein called his 700th consecutive Pepperdine men’s basketball broadcast vs. Pacific on Dec. 13 ... The game at Cal State Northridge on Dec. 18 was the 2,000th in program history ... Pepperdine’s 12-game losing streak tied the third-longest in program history and was the longest since the 1965-66 season ... The Waves beat Loyola Marymount in Firestone Fieldhouse for the 11th consecutive time ... Pepperdine won its conference opener (vs. LMU) for the first time since 2005.SOLES4SOULS — Pepperdine’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee, in conjunction with student-fan group Riptide, will be collecting shoes at Firestone Fieldhouse until Feb. 17 for Soles4Souls. Soles4Souls has already successfully donated more than one million pairs of shoes to those hurting both domestically and internationally. Fans can drop off shoes, both new and used, into the Soles4Souls collection box located near the concession stand at Firestone Fieldhouse, or among several additional boxes placed throughout Pepperdine’s Malibu campus.
ROSTER — The Waves have just five players that saw action last season. Only four of them were on the roster at season’s end, and because of injuries, only two of them played in the 2007-08 season finale at the WCC Tournament. The five returners accounted for 40.2% of last year’s scoring (950/2,365), 32.0% of the rebounding (357/1,117), 59.6% of the assists (239/401), 16.4% of the blocked shots (21/128) and 57.9% of the steals (183/316). To replenish the roster, the Waves added 10 newcomers. Two are sophomores that are junior college transfers, six are scholarship freshmen and two others are walk-on freshmen. Of the 15 players, 12 are underclassmen. The breakdown is three seniors, zero juniors, four sophomores and eight freshmen.RETURNERS — Three players — senior Rico Tucker (10.7 ppg last season), sophomore Mychel Thompson (8.1 ppg) and senior Ryan Holmes (6.0 ppg) — were starters in 2007-08. Senior Mike Hornbuckle (5.5 ppg) saw extended playing time last season and started half of the 32 games. Sophomore Gus Clardy (1.3 ppg), a walk-on, appeared in 16 games last season.
NEWCOMERS — When Tom Asbury was hired in February, he was given a very late start to the recruiting process. The three recruits that signed letters-of-intent with the previous coaching staff were given their release, and several players transferred following the season. With many holes to fill, Asbury and his staff utilized their contacts, identified the best of the remaining unsigned talent that fit their needs and put together a very impressive group under the circumstances. The Sporting News ranked Pepperdine’s recruiting class #2 in the West Coast Conference.NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE — The home schedule should have been much more palatable to Waves fans in 2008-09. A year after playing just three non-conference home games, Pepperdine supporters were treated to eight this time around, including ones against such big-time opponents as Brigham Young and Georgia Tech, and in-state rivals such as Cal State Bakersfield, UC Irvine and Pacific. A few of the road games were notable too, including contests at Pac-10 foes Arizona State and USC. The Waves also took part in the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii right after Christmas.
TELEVISION — The Waves will appear on television several times once again in 2008-09. Six games will be shown locally (Nov. 21 at Arizona State on FSN Prime Ticket, Jan. 10 vs. Loyola Marymount on ESPNU, Jan. 22 vs. Gonzaga on FSN West, Feb. 14 vs. San Diego on FSN West, Feb. 21 at Gonzaga on ESPNU and Feb. 26 vs. Saint Mary’s on FSN West). A few other games will be televised out of market (Nov. 21 at New Mexico State on FSN Arizona, Dec. 28 vs. Buffalo on KFVE in Hawaii, Jan. 17 at Saint Mary’s on Comcast Sports Net CaliforniaToreros begin 3-game homestand Thursday with Pepperdine (7 pm) USD has won four straight and six of seven
Jan. 13, 2009
USD-Pepperdine Notes
GAME #18: The University of San Diego men's basketball team (2-0 WCC; 10-7), under the direction of 2nd-year head coach Bill Grier, begin a 3-game homestand this coming Thursday, January 15th, when they host the Pepperdine Waves (1-0 WCC; 4-13). Game time is 7:05 p.m. at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
SERIES RECORD: This is the 83rd meeting between USD and Pepperdine with the Waves owning a commanding 52-30 series advantage... USD has won eight straight games in the series, including three last year (61-58 in Malibu; 77-73 at JCP; 73-55 in 1st round of WCC Tournament at JCP)... De'Jon Jackson scored 20 points in 1st meeting; Trumaine Johnson scored 22 points in 2nd meeting; and Jackson scored 24 points in WCC Tourney opener.
RADIO/INTERNET: The game will be broadcast on XX Sports Radio 1090 AM with Andy Masur (play-by-play) and John Kentera (color analyst) bringing you the action. Pregame begins at 6:45 pm. The game can also be heard via the internet at www.usdtoreros.com.WCC STANDINGS (thru Jan. 13th): Saint Mary's (2-0 WCC; 15-1), San Diego (2-0; 10-7),Gonzaga (1-0; 10-4), Pepperdine (1-0; 4-13), Portland (0-1; 9-7), Loyola Marymount(0-1; 1-16), San Francisco (0-2; 8-9), Santa Clara (0-2; 7-11).
UPCOMING WCC SCHEDULE: (Thur., Jan. 15) SCU at Gonzaga (6 pm), LMU at SMC (6 pm), Pepperdine at USD (7 pm), USF at Portland (8 pm). (Sat., Jan. 17) USF at Gonzaga (5 pm), Pepperdine at SMC (5 pm), LMU at USD (6 pm), SCU at Portland (7 pm).
COACH GRIER (2ND YEAR): Coach Bill Grier (Oregon, 1990), 45, is in his second season at the helm of the USD program... He enters the Pepperdine game with a career record of 32-21(.604)... In his rookie year he guided the Toreros to an overall mark of 22-14 and 3rd place finish in the WCC race at 11-3... He guided the Toreros to three wins and the championship title at the WCC Tournament (hosted by USD) with wins over Pepperdine, Saint Mary's and No. 20 Gonzaga... The Toreros then upset No. 15 UCONN in the NCAA Tournament opener with a 70-69 overtime victory, before falling to Western Kentucky in the second round... His 11 WCC wins were the second most for league wins in a single season in program history... Hired on March 26, 2007, Grier is USD's 11th head coach overall and just the 4th head coach since the Torero program moved to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1979-80... His 22 wins were also the most by a Torero coach in his first season at USD - previous mark was 16 held by Hank Egan ('84-85) and Jim Brovelli ('73-74). In addition to knocking off Kentucky on the road, 81-72, the Toreros earned three wins over Top-25 teams: #21 Saint Mary's, #20 Gonzaga and #15 Connecticut... Prior to USD Grier spent 16 years at Gonzaga, including the last 8 seasons as Mark Few's top assistant. Bill and his wife, Nicole, have one daughter, Giselle.
TOREROS EARN COMEBACK WIN OVER SANTA CLARA, 55-50 (Jan. 11th): The USD Toreros earned a 55-50 come-from-behind victory at Santa Clara on Sunday afternoon to improve their season mark to 10-7 overall, and 2-0 in the WCC Standings. For the second straight contest the USD defense stepped up and held its opponent to 50 points. Unlike its 65-50 win over USF where San Diego shot 57% and canned 8-of-16 threes, the Toreros struggled offensively against the always hard-nosed Broncos. Senior Gyno Pomare battled SCU's big man John Bryant for most of the contest - Pomare finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds; Bryant totaled 19 points and 12 boards. Rob Jones finished strong down the stretch and chipped in with 17 points. The Toreros found themselves down 48-45 with 1:41 to go. Jones cut it to one at 48-47 on a lay-up with 1:18 left. With :38 ticks left, Trumaine Johnson was called for a foul against Perry Petty, but on the same play Petty was called for a technical foul in response to an elbow to Johnson. USD's Pomare canned both technical shots, and Petty converted both of his charities at his end of the floor. With SCU holding onto a 51-50 advantage, Johnson connected on a driving push-shot inside the key with :30 seconds to go. Bronco guard Kevin Foster turned the ball over and after Matt Dorr retrieved the loose ball, was fouled by Ben Dowdell. Dorr made both of his free throws for a 53-50 lead with :14 seconds to go. The game ended with Jones canning two charities with :01 left for the five point victory. USD scored a season-low 17 points in the first half.
TORERO DEFENSE STOPS USF DONS, 65-50 (Jan. 9th): The USD Toreros won their third straight game with a strong defensive showing in earning a 65-50 WCC victory over the USF Dons on Friday... San Diego held USF, which entered the game averaging 72.1 ppg, to 25 points in each half... The Toreros also helped themselves by making six of their first seven three-point attempts in charging out to a 28-13 lead before settling for a 34--25 halftime advantage... Sophomore point guard Trumaine Johnson matched his career-high of 22 points as he connected on 8-of-12 shots overall and 4-of-6 beyond the three-point arc... Gyno Pomare chipped in with his third double-double of the season finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds... Sophomore Rob Jones, back playing in his hometown, added 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists... In the first half the Toreros held the WCC's leading scorer, Dior Lowhorn, to just 4 points - he would go on to finish with a team-high 18 points and 7 rebounds... For the game USD shot 57.8% from the field (26-45) and an even 50% from three-point range (8-16).TORERO TIDBITS: The Toreros, who enter the week with a 10-7 mark and season-best four-game winning streak, have also won six of seven... In its current 4-game streak which began with an impressive 64-61 overtime road victory over Mississippi State, three Toreros are averaging in double-digits - Gyno Pomare (15.0 ppg; 9.8 rpg), Trumaine Johnson (14.5 ppg), and Rob Jones (12.0 ppg; 6.0 rpg)... The Toreros also own a +8.2 scoring margin over the past four games (66.0 ppg to 57.8 ppg)... The same three players have led USD over the past seven games with USD winning six - Pomare (16.1 ppg; 8.6 rpg), Johnson (14.8 ppg) and Jones (13.3 ppg; 5.4 rpg)... Thursday's game against Pepperdine is the first of three straight at the JCP where the Toreros own a 4-3 record... Once again the trio of Pomare (14.7 ppg), Johnson (14.0 ppg) and Jones (12.7 ppg) pace the offensive efforts at home... In home games USD owns a scoring margin of +11.1 (69.1 ppg to 58.0 ppg)... USD's three home losses are by a combined 10 points (56-52 to San Jose State; 57-54 to New Mexico; 75-72 to Boise State)... In WCC openers that have been played at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, USD owns a record of 4-4... Senior Brandon Johnson scored in double-digits in all 8 games this season before being lost for the year with a ruptured Achilles' tendon.
SCOUTING THE PEPPERDINE WAVES: The Pepperdine Waves (4-13; 1-0 WCC), under the direction head coach Tom Asbury, have won three of four after a rough start, including a victory over Loyola Marymount to start league play... Asbury returns to Malibu where he was part of the staff for fifteen years, including the last six as the head coach (1989-94)... He was 125-59 at Pepperdine before serving as head coach at Kansas State (1995-2000)... In their recent 59-57 home win over LMU, the Waves were paced by 6-3 freshman guard Keion Bell (15 points), 6-6 freshman wing Dane Suttle, Jr. (12 points) and 6-7 sophomore forward Mychel Thompson (12 points)... Thompson (11.1 ppg) and Bell (10.8 ppg) are the two Waves' averaging in double-digits... Suttle (29 threes) and Thompson (25 threes) lead Pepperdine in 3-point shooting... Pepperdine is averaging 64.7 ppg but giving up an average of 75.9 ppg... Prior to beating LMU, Pepperdine beat Coppin State (58-56) on Dec. 29th, lost at Hawaii (78-70) on Dec. 30th, and rebounded with a 77-67 victory against Western Oregon on January 3rd... Pepperdine opened the season with a 91-82 win over CS Monterey Bay, then dropped their next twelve.SAN DIEGO PARTICPATING IN BRACKETBUSTERS: The Toreros will be part of the seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters event, a two-day men's college basketball extravaganza pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other on Feb. 20-21, will feature 13 nationally televised games from the pool of 102 teams. USD is one of 14 teams that appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament. The actual selection of participating teams will take place on February 2, 2009.
ALUMNI BASKETBALL DAY SET FOR JANUARY 17TH: All USD men's basketball alumni are welcome to attend this year's Alumni Day which will take place on Saturday, January 17th... Following lunch with this year's team, and their shoot-around, the Alumni game will take place in the Jenny Craig Pavilion... Following the game, Basketball alumni and guests will be invited to join USD donors in theWarren Room for a pre-game reception before USD's 6 p.m. contest against Loyola Marymount... For more information, contact the USD Athletic Development office at 619.260.5917.
UP NEXT FOR USD: The Toreros continue West Coast Conference play with two more home games against Loyola Marymount (Sat., Jan. 17th, 6 pm, 4SD telecast) and Saint Mary's College (Thur., Jan. 22nd, 6 pm, ESPN2 telecast). USD will close out the month of January with a trip to the Pacific Northwest to face Portland (1-29) and Gonzaga (1-31).
Pepperdine beats Loyola Marymount, 59-57
Preview Box Score Recap
Jan 11, 1:20 am EST
MALIBU, Calif. (AP)—Keion Bell scored 14 points and Pepperdine held off a late rally by Loyola Marymount, for a 59-57 victory in both team’s West Coast Conference opener on Saturday night.
The two evenly matched teams traded the lead 12 times and shot similar percentages with Pepperdine making 36.4 percent of its field goals compared to Loyola Marymount’s 35.5 percent.
Dane Suttle and Mychel Thompson added 12 points each for Pepperdine (4-14, 1-0 WCC) which won its second straight game.
The Lions pulled as close as 47-46 when LaRon Armstead scored on a layup, but Pepperdine answered with a 7-0 run capped by Mike Hornbuckle’s jumper to regain control.
But trailing 57-48 with less than a minute remaining, the Lions forced a few turnovers for a 6-1 run. Armstead nailed a 3-pointer from about mid-court before the shot clock expired for Loyola Marymount’s final two points.
Loyola Marymount erased a 9-point halftime deficit by out-scoring Pepperdine 15-2 to start the second half to take a 42-38 lead.
A pair of freshman led the depleted Lions, who are down to seven scholarship players. Jarred DuBois had 17 points and Armstead 16 points and seven rebounds for Loyola Marymount (1-16, 0-1).
Tied 21-all, Pepperdine out-scored Loyola Marymount 15-6 in the final six minutes of the first half to take a 36-27 lead at the break.
Pepperdine Team Report
Yahoo! Sports Jan 14, 3:57 am EST
Getting Inside
Sometimes teams get the biggest boost from the schedule.
Pepperdine floundered for most of the non-conference season, looking like a team that could finish last in the conference or, worse, lose its will to compete.
Then came a trip to Hawaii and some games the Waves could win. As of Jan. 13, the Waves had won three of their past four games and had been competitive in each of their last five.
That includes a victory in the conference opener against Loyola Marymount, making the Waves 1-0 heading into the second weekend of conference play. It gives the appearance that Tom Asbury is making great strides with his young team, and the Waves are getting better.
However, the hopes resulting from that success should be tempered by the quality of the team’s victims, including Loyola Marymount, which came into its conference opener against Pepperdine with a 1-15 record and nearly beat the Waves on Pepperdine’s home court.
The Lions outscored Pepperdine 15-2 to open the second half to take a four-point lead, and that should not happen to the Waves on their home court. But Loyola Marymount, with its youth and thin bench, wilted down the stretch, which is when the Waves regrouped and played pretty well.
The Waves’ two previous wins came against Coppin State, which is 2-13, and Western Oregon, a Division II school. The stretch of success should give some much-needed confidence to a young team that needs as much as it can get. Holding Western Oregon and Loyola Marymount both under 36 percent shooting might give the Waves some sense of a defensive identity as well.
Whether the wins initiated any momentum will be apparent soon enough, because the Waves play their next two games, Jan. 15 and 17, on the road, against two of the conference’s best teams—St. Mary’s and San Diego.
Notes, Quotes
• With its Jan. 10 victory, Pepperdine has won 11 straight home games against Southern California rival Loyola Marymount, and it has beaten the Lions in 21 of their past 23 meetings overall.
• Pepperdine missed 10 straight shots from the field early in the second half against Loyola Marymount and went scoreless for more than eight minutes. Yet the Waves still won the game.
• Rebounding continued to be a problem for Pepperdine in its Jan. 10 game against Loyola Marymount. The Lions collected 11 offensive rebounds and had 17 second-chance points compared with just two second-chance points for the Waves.
Quote To Note: “Young teams have to figure out how to win. It’s real easy to lose.”—Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury.
Strategy And Personnel
Eleven players have started games for the Waves this season, and all 11 average more than 15 minutes a game. Tom Asbury might continue to mix and match combinations the rest of the year, or at least until Ryan Holmes and Jonathan Dupre return. It prevents the Waves from gaining continuity, but it may give Asbury a better idea of what he has for the coming seasons.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—G Dane Suttle Jr., G Lorne Jackson, F Taylor Darby, C Corbin Moore, F Mychel Thompson. Key subs—G Keion Bell, G Ron Holmes, F Jonathan Dupre, F Denis Agre, G Michael Hornbuckle.
Game Review:
Hawaii 78, Pepperdine 70
Pepperdine 77, Western Oregon 67
Pepperdine 59, Loyola Marymount 57
Game Preview:
at San Diego, Thursday, Jan. 15
at St. Mary’s, Saturday, Jan. 17
vs. Gonzaga, Thursday, Jan. 22
vs. Portland, Saturday, Jan. 24
In Focus: If the Waves can start well against San Diego, the momentum from their previous two outings could keep them in the game. And staying close should be the goal at this point, because it could give the inexperienced Waves a chance to steal a game at the end if everything falls into place. The Waves’ biggest challenge will be trying to control San Diego’s Gyno Pomare inside.
Roster Report:
• Senior Ryan Holmes, who had missed eight games with a sprained knee, returned for the Jan. 10 game against Loyola Marymount and played eight minutes. His playing time should increase in the games against Santa Clara and St. Mary’s.
• As of Jan. 13, freshman Jonathan Dupre had missed five straight games with a sprained ankle. It’s uncertain whether he will play against San Diego on Jan. 15.
• Sophomore Mychel Thompson is not a consistent scorer yet, but he’s getting closer, averaging 14.3 points over his last six games, as of Jan. 13, including two games of 20 or more.
Men's Hoops Visits Saint Mary's on Saturday
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 01/16/2009
UPCOMING — The Pepperdine men’s basketball team plays its second of three straight West Coast Conference games against 2008 NCAA Tournament teams when the Waves visit Saint Mary’s on Saturday. With Thursday’s road game at San Diego now past, and a home contest against Gonzaga to follow, this might be the toughest stretch of the season for the young Pepperdine team. The Gaels are ranked #25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Underclassmen are dominating the Waves’ lineup, as freshmen and sophomores are scoring more than 86% of the points.
GAME #19 — Saturday (Jan. 17) at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif.: Pepperdine (4-14, 1-1) at Saint Mary’s (16-1, 3-0) at 5 p.m.
ON TELEVISION — The Waves’ game at Saint Mary’s will be shown on Comcast SportsNet California. Greg Papa and Dan Belluomini are the announcers.
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 24th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Non-televised 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 WaveCasts 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.
SAINT MARY’S — Pepperdine is 68-50 all-time against Saint Mary’s. The Gaels have won nine of the last 10 games. The lone Pepperdine win in that stretch was in Moraga in 2007. Tom Asbury is 15-1 against Saint Mary’s (14-1 as Pepperdine’s head coach). Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett and director of operations Mark Campbell are former Pepperdine assistants.
LAST GAME — San Diego’s WCC-leading defense clamped down on Pepperdine, holding the Waves to 35.2% shooting and a 62-47 loss at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Thursday night (Jan. 15). The Waves scored a season-low 17 points in the first half and the Toreros went up 30-17 at the break before leading by as many as 21 in the second half. Mychel Thompson was the only Wave in double-figures with 15 points. Corbin Moore added eight points and nine rebounds. The duo shot 9-for-16 from the field, while the rest of the team went 10-for-38 and no one else had more than five points. One bright spot for the Waves was a +12 rebounding margin (37-25), which included 14 offensive rebounds (five by Moore)
Preview Box Score Recap
Jan 11, 1:20 am EST
MALIBU, Calif. (AP)—Keion Bell scored 14 points and Pepperdine held off a late rally by Loyola Marymount, for a 59-57 victory in both team’s West Coast Conference opener on Saturday night.
The two evenly matched teams traded the lead 12 times and shot similar percentages with Pepperdine making 36.4 percent of its field goals compared to Loyola Marymount’s 35.5 percent.
Dane Suttle and Mychel Thompson added 12 points each for Pepperdine (4-14, 1-0 WCC) which won its second straight game.
The Lions pulled as close as 47-46 when LaRon Armstead scored on a layup, but Pepperdine answered with a 7-0 run capped by Mike Hornbuckle’s jumper to regain control.
But trailing 57-48 with less than a minute remaining, the Lions forced a few turnovers for a 6-1 run. Armstead nailed a 3-pointer from about mid-court before the shot clock expired for Loyola Marymount’s final two points.
Loyola Marymount erased a 9-point halftime deficit by out-scoring Pepperdine 15-2 to start the second half to take a 42-38 lead.
A pair of freshman led the depleted Lions, who are down to seven scholarship players. Jarred DuBois had 17 points and Armstead 16 points and seven rebounds for Loyola Marymount (1-16, 0-1).
Tied 21-all, Pepperdine out-scored Loyola Marymount 15-6 in the final six minutes of the first half to take a 36-27 lead at the break.
Pepperdine Team Report
Yahoo! Sports Jan 14, 3:57 am EST
Getting Inside
Sometimes teams get the biggest boost from the schedule.
Pepperdine floundered for most of the non-conference season, looking like a team that could finish last in the conference or, worse, lose its will to compete.
Then came a trip to Hawaii and some games the Waves could win. As of Jan. 13, the Waves had won three of their past four games and had been competitive in each of their last five.
That includes a victory in the conference opener against Loyola Marymount, making the Waves 1-0 heading into the second weekend of conference play. It gives the appearance that Tom Asbury is making great strides with his young team, and the Waves are getting better.
However, the hopes resulting from that success should be tempered by the quality of the team’s victims, including Loyola Marymount, which came into its conference opener against Pepperdine with a 1-15 record and nearly beat the Waves on Pepperdine’s home court.
The Lions outscored Pepperdine 15-2 to open the second half to take a four-point lead, and that should not happen to the Waves on their home court. But Loyola Marymount, with its youth and thin bench, wilted down the stretch, which is when the Waves regrouped and played pretty well.
The Waves’ two previous wins came against Coppin State, which is 2-13, and Western Oregon, a Division II school. The stretch of success should give some much-needed confidence to a young team that needs as much as it can get. Holding Western Oregon and Loyola Marymount both under 36 percent shooting might give the Waves some sense of a defensive identity as well.
Whether the wins initiated any momentum will be apparent soon enough, because the Waves play their next two games, Jan. 15 and 17, on the road, against two of the conference’s best teams—St. Mary’s and San Diego.
Notes, Quotes• With its Jan. 10 victory, Pepperdine has won 11 straight home games against Southern California rival Loyola Marymount, and it has beaten the Lions in 21 of their past 23 meetings overall.
• Pepperdine missed 10 straight shots from the field early in the second half against Loyola Marymount and went scoreless for more than eight minutes. Yet the Waves still won the game.
• Rebounding continued to be a problem for Pepperdine in its Jan. 10 game against Loyola Marymount. The Lions collected 11 offensive rebounds and had 17 second-chance points compared with just two second-chance points for the Waves.
Quote To Note: “Young teams have to figure out how to win. It’s real easy to lose.”—Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury.
Strategy And Personnel
Eleven players have started games for the Waves this season, and all 11 average more than 15 minutes a game. Tom Asbury might continue to mix and match combinations the rest of the year, or at least until Ryan Holmes and Jonathan Dupre return. It prevents the Waves from gaining continuity, but it may give Asbury a better idea of what he has for the coming seasons.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—G Dane Suttle Jr., G Lorne Jackson, F Taylor Darby, C Corbin Moore, F Mychel Thompson. Key subs—G Keion Bell, G Ron Holmes, F Jonathan Dupre, F Denis Agre, G Michael Hornbuckle.
Game Review:
Hawaii 78, Pepperdine 70
Pepperdine 77, Western Oregon 67
Pepperdine 59, Loyola Marymount 57
Game Preview:
at San Diego, Thursday, Jan. 15
at St. Mary’s, Saturday, Jan. 17
vs. Gonzaga, Thursday, Jan. 22
vs. Portland, Saturday, Jan. 24
In Focus: If the Waves can start well against San Diego, the momentum from their previous two outings could keep them in the game. And staying close should be the goal at this point, because it could give the inexperienced Waves a chance to steal a game at the end if everything falls into place. The Waves’ biggest challenge will be trying to control San Diego’s Gyno Pomare inside.
Roster Report:
• Senior Ryan Holmes, who had missed eight games with a sprained knee, returned for the Jan. 10 game against Loyola Marymount and played eight minutes. His playing time should increase in the games against Santa Clara and St. Mary’s.
• As of Jan. 13, freshman Jonathan Dupre had missed five straight games with a sprained ankle. It’s uncertain whether he will play against San Diego on Jan. 15.
• Sophomore Mychel Thompson is not a consistent scorer yet, but he’s getting closer, averaging 14.3 points over his last six games, as of Jan. 13, including two games of 20 or more.
Men's Hoops Visits Saint Mary's on Saturday
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 01/16/2009
UPCOMING — The Pepperdine men’s basketball team plays its second of three straight West Coast Conference games against 2008 NCAA Tournament teams when the Waves visit Saint Mary’s on Saturday. With Thursday’s road game at San Diego now past, and a home contest against Gonzaga to follow, this might be the toughest stretch of the season for the young Pepperdine team. The Gaels are ranked #25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Underclassmen are dominating the Waves’ lineup, as freshmen and sophomores are scoring more than 86% of the points.
GAME #19 — Saturday (Jan. 17) at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif.: Pepperdine (4-14, 1-1) at Saint Mary’s (16-1, 3-0) at 5 p.m.
ON TELEVISION — The Waves’ game at Saint Mary’s will be shown on Comcast SportsNet California. Greg Papa and Dan Belluomini are the announcers.
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 24th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Non-televised 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 WaveCasts 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.
SAINT MARY’S — Pepperdine is 68-50 all-time against Saint Mary’s. The Gaels have won nine of the last 10 games. The lone Pepperdine win in that stretch was in Moraga in 2007. Tom Asbury is 15-1 against Saint Mary’s (14-1 as Pepperdine’s head coach). Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett and director of operations Mark Campbell are former Pepperdine assistants.
LAST GAME — San Diego’s WCC-leading defense clamped down on Pepperdine, holding the Waves to 35.2% shooting and a 62-47 loss at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Thursday night (Jan. 15). The Waves scored a season-low 17 points in the first half and the Toreros went up 30-17 at the break before leading by as many as 21 in the second half. Mychel Thompson was the only Wave in double-figures with 15 points. Corbin Moore added eight points and nine rebounds. The duo shot 9-for-16 from the field, while the rest of the team went 10-for-38 and no one else had more than five points. One bright spot for the Waves was a +12 rebounding margin (37-25), which included 14 offensive rebounds (five by Moore)
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