Men's Hoops Rallies Past LMU, 79-75
Pepperdine-LMU Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - The 150th meeting ever between the Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount basketball teams was a classic, as the Waves used a 23-4 run to start the second half to rally for a 79-75 victory in the West Coast Conference opener for both schools at Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday.
The Waves (5-12, 1-0) continued their recent dominance over the Lions (9-8, 0-1), as they've won 12 straight at home in the series and 23 of the last 25 overall.
Pepperdine fell behind 16-3 after 6 1/2 minutes, trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half and was down 38-25 at halftime before scoring a season-high 54 second-half points.
Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) scored a game-high 22 points and sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) had 17 points and both helped key the second-half rally.
Thompson made a career-high six three-pointers on seven attempts while Jackson tied his career high with four makes. The Waves connected on a season-high 14 three-pointers (going nine for 12 in the second half) and made 60.9% of their 23 attempts.
Jackson and Thompson each scored eight points in the run to start the second half. A deep three-pointer by Thompson that beat the shot clock gave Pepperdine a 43-42 lead with 14 minutes left, and seconds later, he finished a fast break with a slam dunk that ignited the home crowd. Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS), who scored 16 points, nailed a long three-pointer to finish the run and give Pepperdine a 48-42 lead with less than 13 minutes left.
The Lions regained the lead with about five minutes remaining, but junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC) drained a three-pointer with two minutes remaining to put the Waves in front to stay at 67-65.
During the first 38 minutes, Pepperdine missed all five of its free throw attempts, but in the final two minutes, the Waves went 9-for-12, which was enough to clinch the victory.
"We played our worst half of basketball this season," Jackson said. "Coach chewed us out and told us to play hard. This type of win will help us. There is nothing like getting a win like this over LMU."
"We definitely needed this win," Thompson said. "It was a confidence-booster. We didn't come out with enthusiasm. At halftime, coach challenged us to put our best effort out there."
Thompson added eight rebounds, while sophomore forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
Pepperdine now leads the all-time series 90-60 with LMU. Along with an 82-65 win by Pepperdine's women in the first game of the doubleheader, the Waves now lead the PCH Challenge (a season-long competition between the two rivals) 6.0-3.5.
Pepperdine continues WCC play at home next weekend with games against Santa Clara (Thursday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.) and San Francisco (Saturday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.). The Santa Clara game will be on ESPNU. Fans can watch the webcasts and listen to Al Epstein's broadcasts at www.pepperdinesports.com with a subscription to Wave Casts.
Pepperdine erases 17-point deficit to beat LMU
By Phil Collin, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/10/2010 02:36:30 AM PST
Pepperdine enjoys one of the finest views in America from its perch in Malibu.
Until at least Thursday, it's truly a view from the top. The Waves, losers of nine games in 10 tries before Saturday, rallied from a 17-point deficit to stun rival Loyola Marymount, 79-75, in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams at Firestone Fieldhouse.
A barrage of 3-pointers from Mychel Thompson and Lorne Jackson fueled a 23-4 run to start the second half and Keion Bell hit four key free throws in the final 39 seconds for Pepperdine (5-12). It was only the start of the WCC season, but the Waves couldn't have had a more timely victory. "It's huge," said Bell, who had 16 points while battling through eight turnovers. "It builds camaraderie on the team, because no matter how much we get down or no matter what it looks like out there, we know if we stick together we can pull out anything no matter how much we're down.
"If we would have let this slip away, things could have gotten worse." Thompson, with his father, Mychal, watching from the stands, scored a game-high 22 points and made six of seven 3-pointers. Jackson had 17 points, making four of seven 3-pointers as the Waves made 14 of 23 (61 percent) of their long-range shots.
"I'm not sure I've had a team shoot 61 percent from 3, taking that many especially," Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury said. "It's pretty extraordinary, really. I know we're not that good - nobody's that good (shooting-wise). It was just one of those nights."
It was one of those nights LMU (9-8) was hoping it wouldn't have to endure. The Lions went in with a six-game win streak, their longest since 1996, but left with their 12th consecutive loss in Malibu and seventh straight overall in the series.
The defeat might have hurt more than the entire 2008-09 season, when LMU went 3-28.
"I just told them if the rules would allow it, we'd be practicing at 12:01 tonight," LMU coach Max Good said. "But the rules won't allow it. I'd be right in the gym with them, diving for loose balls, taking charges and we would declare war.
"But we can't do that. We're in a modern, touchy-feely age and we can't do this to our little darlings. So we've got to come back in there Monday with a total focus and get ready to play San Francisco." The Lions took command from the outset, jumping to a 16-3 lead with Kevin Young's alley-oop dunk off a pass from Vernon Teel.
Moments later, two free throws by LaRon Armstead gave LMU a 28-11 lead.
But Bell answered with a 3-pointer and Pepperdine began a stretch in which it made 13 of 17 3-pointers bridging the halves.
"It would be hard for them to do that in a shooting drill and that's about what it was, a shooting drill - because we had little or almost no resistance," Good said. "Now in fairness, they hit a couple with the shot clock almost going off . . . but we gave them confidence to that point to where they could make those shots. We had 'em and let them back in the game."
In the first 5:17 of the game, LMU had six assists. The Lions didn't get their next one until 27:16 had elapsed.
"That always starts with me because I'm the point guard," Teel said. "I have the most assists on the team. That's my fault that the ball didn't get shared enough."
Teel led LMU with 17 points and guard Jarred DuBois had 14, with forwards Ashley Hamilton and Drew Viney scoring 13 points each.
phil.collin@dailybreeze.com
PCH Cup Point at Stake on Saturday at Pepperdine
Lions open 2010 WCC schedule at local rivals
Jan. 6, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
Upcoming Schedule
Pepperdine-LMU Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - The 150th meeting ever between the Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount basketball teams was a classic, as the Waves used a 23-4 run to start the second half to rally for a 79-75 victory in the West Coast Conference opener for both schools at Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday.The Waves (5-12, 1-0) continued their recent dominance over the Lions (9-8, 0-1), as they've won 12 straight at home in the series and 23 of the last 25 overall.
Pepperdine fell behind 16-3 after 6 1/2 minutes, trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half and was down 38-25 at halftime before scoring a season-high 54 second-half points.
Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) scored a game-high 22 points and sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) had 17 points and both helped key the second-half rally.
Thompson made a career-high six three-pointers on seven attempts while Jackson tied his career high with four makes. The Waves connected on a season-high 14 three-pointers (going nine for 12 in the second half) and made 60.9% of their 23 attempts.Jackson and Thompson each scored eight points in the run to start the second half. A deep three-pointer by Thompson that beat the shot clock gave Pepperdine a 43-42 lead with 14 minutes left, and seconds later, he finished a fast break with a slam dunk that ignited the home crowd. Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS), who scored 16 points, nailed a long three-pointer to finish the run and give Pepperdine a 48-42 lead with less than 13 minutes left.
The Lions regained the lead with about five minutes remaining, but junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC) drained a three-pointer with two minutes remaining to put the Waves in front to stay at 67-65.During the first 38 minutes, Pepperdine missed all five of its free throw attempts, but in the final two minutes, the Waves went 9-for-12, which was enough to clinch the victory.
"We played our worst half of basketball this season," Jackson said. "Coach chewed us out and told us to play hard. This type of win will help us. There is nothing like getting a win like this over LMU.""We definitely needed this win," Thompson said. "It was a confidence-booster. We didn't come out with enthusiasm. At halftime, coach challenged us to put our best effort out there."
Thompson added eight rebounds, while sophomore forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
Pepperdine now leads the all-time series 90-60 with LMU. Along with an 82-65 win by Pepperdine's women in the first game of the doubleheader, the Waves now lead the PCH Challenge (a season-long competition between the two rivals) 6.0-3.5.
Pepperdine continues WCC play at home next weekend with games against Santa Clara (Thursday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.) and San Francisco (Saturday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.). The Santa Clara game will be on ESPNU. Fans can watch the webcasts and listen to Al Epstein's broadcasts at www.pepperdinesports.com with a subscription to Wave Casts.
Pepperdine erases 17-point deficit to beat LMU
By Phil Collin, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/10/2010 02:36:30 AM PST
Pepperdine enjoys one of the finest views in America from its perch in Malibu.
Until at least Thursday, it's truly a view from the top. The Waves, losers of nine games in 10 tries before Saturday, rallied from a 17-point deficit to stun rival Loyola Marymount, 79-75, in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams at Firestone Fieldhouse.
A barrage of 3-pointers from Mychel Thompson and Lorne Jackson fueled a 23-4 run to start the second half and Keion Bell hit four key free throws in the final 39 seconds for Pepperdine (5-12). It was only the start of the WCC season, but the Waves couldn't have had a more timely victory. "It's huge," said Bell, who had 16 points while battling through eight turnovers. "It builds camaraderie on the team, because no matter how much we get down or no matter what it looks like out there, we know if we stick together we can pull out anything no matter how much we're down.
"If we would have let this slip away, things could have gotten worse." Thompson, with his father, Mychal, watching from the stands, scored a game-high 22 points and made six of seven 3-pointers. Jackson had 17 points, making four of seven 3-pointers as the Waves made 14 of 23 (61 percent) of their long-range shots."I'm not sure I've had a team shoot 61 percent from 3, taking that many especially," Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury said. "It's pretty extraordinary, really. I know we're not that good - nobody's that good (shooting-wise). It was just one of those nights."
It was one of those nights LMU (9-8) was hoping it wouldn't have to endure. The Lions went in with a six-game win streak, their longest since 1996, but left with their 12th consecutive loss in Malibu and seventh straight overall in the series.
The defeat might have hurt more than the entire 2008-09 season, when LMU went 3-28.
"I just told them if the rules would allow it, we'd be practicing at 12:01 tonight," LMU coach Max Good said. "But the rules won't allow it. I'd be right in the gym with them, diving for loose balls, taking charges and we would declare war.
"But we can't do that. We're in a modern, touchy-feely age and we can't do this to our little darlings. So we've got to come back in there Monday with a total focus and get ready to play San Francisco." The Lions took command from the outset, jumping to a 16-3 lead with Kevin Young's alley-oop dunk off a pass from Vernon Teel.Moments later, two free throws by LaRon Armstead gave LMU a 28-11 lead.
But Bell answered with a 3-pointer and Pepperdine began a stretch in which it made 13 of 17 3-pointers bridging the halves."It would be hard for them to do that in a shooting drill and that's about what it was, a shooting drill - because we had little or almost no resistance," Good said. "Now in fairness, they hit a couple with the shot clock almost going off . . . but we gave them confidence to that point to where they could make those shots. We had 'em and let them back in the game."
In the first 5:17 of the game, LMU had six assists. The Lions didn't get their next one until 27:16 had elapsed.
"That always starts with me because I'm the point guard," Teel said. "I have the most assists on the team. That's my fault that the ball didn't get shared enough."
Teel led LMU with 17 points and guard Jarred DuBois had 14, with forwards Ashley Hamilton and Drew Viney scoring 13 points each.
phil.collin@dailybreeze.com
PCH Cup Point at Stake on Saturday at Pepperdine
Lions open 2010 WCC schedule at local rivals
Jan. 6, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
Upcoming Schedule
PCH Cup Saturday, January 9 LMU (7-7, 0-0 WCC) at Pepperdine (9-5, 0-0 WCC) - 4:00 p.m.Firestone Fieldhouse • Malibu, Calif.Media: Live radio on KXLU 88.9 FM and at www.LMULions.com.Live stats at www.PepperdineSports.com.
Briefly
The decade and the non-conference schedule are firmly behind LMU as the 2010 West Coast Conference schedule gets underway this Saturday at Pepperdine. The Lions and Waves will take to the floor at Firestone Fieldhouse at 4 p.m., followed by the men as the teams combat their annual doubleheader. At stake will be not only a positive start to WCC play but also points in the PCH Cup, the inaugural title awarded to the winner of the overall head-to-head contests between the schools.
About the PCH Cup: Two Schools, One Road, 19.1 Miles of Rivalry Separated by 19.1 miles of scenic coastline, longtime cross-town adversaries Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine have come together in an effort to boost their decades-long rivalry with the creation of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Challenge. The series will serve as an annual scorecard for the NCAA-sponsored athletic contests between the Lions and Waves, and challenges each institution to rise above the other within the West Coast Conference.
Briefly
The decade and the non-conference schedule are firmly behind LMU as the 2010 West Coast Conference schedule gets underway this Saturday at Pepperdine. The Lions and Waves will take to the floor at Firestone Fieldhouse at 4 p.m., followed by the men as the teams combat their annual doubleheader. At stake will be not only a positive start to WCC play but also points in the PCH Cup, the inaugural title awarded to the winner of the overall head-to-head contests between the schools.
About the PCH Cup: Two Schools, One Road, 19.1 Miles of Rivalry Separated by 19.1 miles of scenic coastline, longtime cross-town adversaries Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine have come together in an effort to boost their decades-long rivalry with the creation of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Challenge. The series will serve as an annual scorecard for the NCAA-sponsored athletic contests between the Lions and Waves, and challenges each institution to rise above the other within the West Coast Conference.
LMU and Pepperdine will be represented by 12 of their intercollegiate athletic teams through both regular and post-season competitions over the course of the academic calendar. Teams scheduled to compete head-to-head during the regular season include baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis (if scheduled) and women's volleyball. Any head-to-head competition, including matches in the post-season and tournaments throughout the year, will be counted toward the scoring and added to the scorecard as they occur. 
The remaining programs (men's and women's cross country, women's swimming and diving, men's golf) - in addition to women's tennis (if the teams do not meet head-to-head at any point) will battle for points that will be awarded on the basis of overall finish at their respective post-season championships. The university with the highest point total accumulated throughout the year will be named PCH Challenge Champion and awarded the PCH Cup. Through the fall season, Pepperdine holds a slim 4.0-3.5 point advantage. To learn more about the PCH Cup, click here.
Firestone Continues to be House of Horrors
Men's basketball sees six-game streak end as Lions fall to Pepperdine and three-pointers, 79-75.
Jarred DuBois had 14 points and a career-best eight rebounds.
Men's Basketball Home
Jan. 9, 2010
MALIBU, Calif. - Firestone Fieldhouse on the campus of Pepperdine University continues to be a house of horrors for LMU as the Lions let a 17-point lead slip away and a six-game winning streak end as the Waves earned a 79-75 victory in the West Coast Conference opener on Saturday night in Malibu, Calif.
Alex Osborne muscled in a three-footer with 3:40 to play in the first half to give the Lions a 17-point lead, 34-17. They would lead 38-25 at the break and seemed in control. However, as it has in 11 previous meetings, the Lions saw it slip away.
The three-pointer did the Lions in, as Pepperdine hit 14-for-23 (60.9 percent), including 6-for-7 from Mychel Thompson. The Lions fall to 9-8 overall and 0-1 in the WCC. Pepperdine goes to 5-12, 1-0. Thompson led all scorers with 22. Vernon Teel led the Lions with 17. Jarred DuBois added 14 points and a career-best eight rebounds. Ashley Hamilton and Drew Viney added 13 points each."We came out strong and ran our offense well and were aggressive on defense," said Head Coach Max Good. "In the second half, we couldn't do anything, they got into a grove from three, and we did nothing to stop it. No excuse for allowing a team to come from 17 back, none. We have to learn play 40 minutes. We aren't going anywhere in league without playing 40 minutes."
The Waves opened the second half on a 23-4 run and the Lions went just 2-for-12 in the first eight minutes as the Waves took a 48-42 lead. In the stretch, the Waves hit six-for-seven from the three-point line. Pepperdine would get the lead to seven, 55-48, with 9:09 to play.
In the half, LMU went just 11-for-30 from the field (36.7 percent) while Pepperdine went 18-for-34 (53 percent). For the game, the Lions finished 41 percent while the Waves hit 45.9 percent.
The Lions would cut the lead to 59-58 after Hamilton's putback with 5:40 to play. After Keion Bell with empty at the charity stripe, Jarred DuBois drove the lane to give the Lions a 60-59 lead with 5:05 to play. Teel hit two free throws for a 62-59 lead. Bell's runner with 3:44 made it 62-61 and then after Hamilton's charge, Thompson hit a three-pointer, the 12th of the game for the Waves, to give the host a 64-62 lead. LMU regained the lead on a dunk by Drew Viney and then a free throw by LaRon Armstead.However, the three-pointer brought the Waves back, this time for good. Jonathan Dupree hit a three with 1:55 left and two free throws at the 1:49 mark to give the Waves a 69-65 lead.
"We did enough in the first half to actually have a chance at the end," said Good. "But we just couldn't do anything defensively from long range, and it killed us." LMU had one last shot, down 74-70, Drew Viney hit a three-pointer to make it 74-73 with 33 seconds left. However, Pepperdine, who started the game 0-for-5 from the free throw line, hit 9-12 from the charity stripe down the stretch to ice it. The Lions head home to face San Francisco on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM
Two WCC Players Named To John R. Wooden Award Mid-Season Top 30
Jan. 4, 2010
LOS ANGELES - Gonzaga senior guard Matt Bouldin and Saint Mary's senior center Omar Samhan were named to the top 30 candidate list for the John R. Wooden Award, the nation's most coveted college basketball honor. Ten players have been selected to the mid-season Top 30 who were not on the preseason list. This impressive group includes two freshmen, Kentucky's Wall and Kansas' Henry; and eight returning players: James Anderson (Oklahoma State), Jimmer Fredette (Brigham Young), Darington Hobson (New Mexico), Wesley Johnson (Syracuse), Jeremy Lin (Harvard), Quincy Pondexter (Washington), Omar Samhan (Saint Mary's) and Klay Thompson (Washington State).
Just as players who are not on the preseason list are eligible for the Midseason Top 30, players who do not make the Midseason list are still eligible for the national ballot, which will be selected in March and will consist of approximately 20 players, chosen by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board Committee. Players selected to the national ballot will have to be certified by their university as making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
More than 1,000 voters, comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts from across the nation, will then cast their votes to determine both the 10-member All American Team and Player of the Year. In late March, the 10-player Wooden Award All American Team will be announced. The Women's John R. Wooden Award Midseason list will be released next week.
The 34th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winner, and the presentation of the Legends of Coaching Award to Florida's Billy Donovan, will take place on April 9, 2010.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), and Blake Griffin ('09). Candace Parker (Tennessee) won the Women's Wooden Award in 2007 and 2008 and Maya Moore (Connecticut) won last year.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the All-American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award's name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The all-day tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All-Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award weekend.
LOS ANGELES - Gonzaga senior guard Matt Bouldin and Saint Mary's senior center Omar Samhan were named to the top 30 candidate list for the John R. Wooden Award, the nation's most coveted college basketball honor. Ten players have been selected to the mid-season Top 30 who were not on the preseason list. This impressive group includes two freshmen, Kentucky's Wall and Kansas' Henry; and eight returning players: James Anderson (Oklahoma State), Jimmer Fredette (Brigham Young), Darington Hobson (New Mexico), Wesley Johnson (Syracuse), Jeremy Lin (Harvard), Quincy Pondexter (Washington), Omar Samhan (Saint Mary's) and Klay Thompson (Washington State).
Just as players who are not on the preseason list are eligible for the Midseason Top 30, players who do not make the Midseason list are still eligible for the national ballot, which will be selected in March and will consist of approximately 20 players, chosen by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board Committee. Players selected to the national ballot will have to be certified by their university as making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
More than 1,000 voters, comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts from across the nation, will then cast their votes to determine both the 10-member All American Team and Player of the Year. In late March, the 10-player Wooden Award All American Team will be announced. The Women's John R. Wooden Award Midseason list will be released next week.
The 34th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winner, and the presentation of the Legends of Coaching Award to Florida's Billy Donovan, will take place on April 9, 2010.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), and Blake Griffin ('09). Candace Parker (Tennessee) won the Women's Wooden Award in 2007 and 2008 and Maya Moore (Connecticut) won last year.Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the All-American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award's name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The all-day tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All-Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award weekend.
Pepperdine - Team Notes
West Coast Conference Standings
GETTING INSIDE
Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury has a lot of concerns with his team having lost nine of 10 games heading into the conference opener on Jan. 9. Another problem was added in the final five games of December when his star player, Keion Bell, began to struggle a bit.
Bell had been one of two Division I players averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and four assists through much of December, and his numbers as of Jan. 4 remain impressive, but his offensive production was down.
He scored 20 points or more in eight of the Waves' first 10 games and had 18 in the other two. However, in a five-game span, ending with the Dec. 30 game against Georgia, Bell did not reach the 20-point plateau in any of them.He had 22 points in the Jan. 3 game against Miami to end that streak, but he was 5-for-14 from the field in that game. In the six games ending with the game against Miami, Bell was 29-for-88 from the field, 32.9 percent.
Certainly, playing the likes of Georgia on the road and Miami (Fla.), at home makes it more difficult for Bell to maintain his impressive numbers, but any decrease in production can affect a player's confidence.
Asbury cannot have his star doubting himself, even for a second.
If the Waves are going to have any success, they need Bell to be a standout performer nearly every game.
Pepperdine has two other offensive weapons, Mychel Thompson and Dane Suttle Jr., but Bell is the centerpiece and the player that makes the Waves' up-tempo style workThe Waves head into their Jan. 9 conference opener against Loyola Marymount having lost by lopsided margins to two teams from major conferences -- Georgia and Miami -- right after producing their biggest victory of the season, a 12-point home win over Utah on Dec. 23.
The good feelings from that Utah game may have been erased by the next two losses.
This is a sophomore-laden team with no seniors on the roster, but the strides Pepperdine made last season suggested the Waves might have more success this season.
The Waves' top eight scorers all got significant player time last season, so more was expected this season.
Pepperdine is rebounding the ball well enough, but the Waves are not shooting well enough to win games.None of the nine players averaging more than 10 minutes a game is shooting better than 46 percent from the floor, and as a team the Waves are hitting only 40.9 percent of their shots. That's not good enough.
NOTES, QUOTES
--Pepperdine lost nine of its 10 games heading into its conference opener Jan. 9 against Loyola Marymount.
--Pepperdine is in the midst of an 11-game stretch in which it plays nine games at home, but it has lost five of its first six home games in that stretch as of Jan. 4.
--Pepperdine shot under 39 percent from the field in each of its last three games as of Jan. 4, and three of its past six opponents as of Jan. 4 have shot 50 percent or better from the floor.
ON THE SPOT: The Waves don't shoot well enough to win many games and much of the problem is the lack of a point guard to lead the offense. Freshman Joshua Lowery began the season at the point, and now the job belongs to Lorne Jackson, although Keion Bell does most of the playmaking, as well as most of the scoring. The Waves don't have much of an interior game to get high-percentage shots, and they force only 11.8 turnovers a game, so they seldom get open-court opportunities for high-percentage shots. They are forced to play halfcourt basketball and depend on their perimeter players to score, and they don't hit a high enough percentage.QUOTE TO NOTE: "This is a lockdown team and we showed it." -- James Dews of Miami (Fla.), after the Hurricanes limited Pepperdine to 35.1 percent shooting in the Waves' Jan. 3 loss.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNELSEASON RECAP: The 3-3 start along with the progress the team made last season suggested the Waves might be a significantly improved team, but they lost seven in a row after that, including four at home. One of the home losses was to California Baptist, an NAIA team that has losses to Northwest Christian and Cal Maritime, among others. That loss bruised Pepperdine's confidence and only a home victory over Utah on Dec. 23 has been uplifting since.
PLAYER ROTATION: Usual Starters -- G Keion Bell, F Mychel Thompson, F Jonathan DuPre, F Taylor Darby, G Lorne Jackson. Key Subs -- F Dane Suttle Jr., G Joshua Lowery, F Gus Clardy.
GAME REVIEW:
Pepperdine 76, Utah 64
Georgia 64, Pepperdine 47
Miami (Fla.) 86, Pepperdine 63
GAME PREVIEW:
vs. Loyola Marymount, Saturday, Jan. 9
vs. Santa Clara, Thursday, Jan. 14
vs. San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 16
at Gonzaga, Thursday, Jan. 21
at Portland, Saturday, Jan. 23
IN FOCUS: The Waves have six days between their lopsided Jan. 3 loss to Miami and their West Coast Conference opener against Loyola Marymount on Jan. 9. The game is at Pepperdine, which should be an advantage, although the Waves have not played well at home and the Lions have played pretty well on the road. Keion Bell and Mychel Thompson need to take leadership roles for Pepperdine to re-ignite the kind of energy this group had at times during WCC play last season. Virtually all the key players on this Pepperdine team were on the team that beat Loyola Marymount twice last season. The Waves need to have a good shooting night to win.ROSTER REPORT:
--Freshman G Joshua Lowery has not played much since an ankle injury sidelined him for two games. He had started the seven games before that, but he has scored only two points in the seven games since, going 1-for-9 from the field. He has six assists and seven turnovers in that span.
--Mychel Thompson went 0-for-20 on three-pointers in the Waves' first six games, but in the past seven games, ending with the Jan. 3 game against Miami, Thompson has made 13-of-30 three-pointers, 43.3 percent.
--Lorne Jackson scored 13 points on Dec. 21 against UC Irvine and 18 on Dec. 23 against Utah, but in the next two games against Georgia and Miami, Jackson went scoreless.
--Keion Bell got his ninth game of 20 points or more against Miami. The rest of the Pepperdine players have combined for three 20-point games.
Cub Scouts Hits the College Road
But, to Malibu?
by Cub Buenning
When a late-December game takes place on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, you know you are in the heart of college basketball. Right?
Christmas came a couple days early for us at Cub Scouts as we took a break from a Southern Californian family holiday to take in an intra-conference match-up between the home Pepperdine Waves and the visiting Runnin’ Utes of Utah. The game pitted two teams with early season struggles looking for one last chance to “get right” before the grind of their respective conference schedules.
The 2008-2009 Mountain West Conference regular season champs, and an NCAA-tournament team, the Utes are far different from last year’s installment. Gone are several key components of that squad including guard Tyler Kepkay and the Aussie mountain in the middle, Luke Nevill. Still around for Jim Boylen’s team are the talented backcourt of 6-5 Serbian senior point Luca Drca and the rugged, but effectively smooth play of junior Carlon Brown.
On the other hand, the Waves of the West Coast Conference (annually dominated by Gonzaga) are led by sophomore scoring sensation, Keion Bell, who made major notoriety this fall with the YouTube release of him dunking over 5 of his buddies. (For real, check this out, if you haven’t yet been versed.) Bell is partnered by junior swingman Mychel Thompson, the son of the former Laker and older brother of Klay, who is lighting it up for Washinton State. Another ex-NBAer’s progeny, Dane Suttle Jr. (whose dad of the same name is Pepperdine’s all-time leading scorer) has emerged as a third threat.
(In a crowd of just under a thousand, it was a current NBAer that got the attention of several in attendance, as Clipper center, Chris Kaman decided to venture through Topanga Canyon to take in a college game on an off-day. The 7th-year player couldn’t have been more gracious and took a few minutes to talk about the game and the holidays. (Seems Utah’s assistant Jeff Smith was one of Kaman’s at Central Michigan and had invited him to the game just minutes from the Staples Center.)
While the home team never seemed able to salt away a game they led throughout, the Waves were able to finally put away the Utes, winning 76-64.
The home team was the aggressor from the opening tip, making one successful foray to the hoop after another. Without the services of the departed Neville and an injury to current 7-3 monster, David Foster, the middle of the paint was wide open, much to the delight of the driving Waves players. Buoyed by the early interior advantage, Pepperdine sped off to an early 30-13 advantage.
The key players for both teams showed up on this night, as well as a young baby-faced guard for Utah by the name of Marshall Henderson. The 6-2 freshman from Texas (seemed to be a surprising number of Texans on the Utah roster) was a threat to score from everywhere on the court and his play early in the second half was instrumental in the Utes staying within range.
But whenever the visitors from the SLC pulled to within a couple baskets it was the LA-kid Bell that proved the difference, as he turned his first-half passivity into second-half fury. The 6-3 guard drove the ball with fervor and ease, netting 13 of his 17 points in the game’s second 20 minutes, predominately from drives to the hole and the slew of subsequent free throws (where he hit 9-10.) Bell was also omnipresent on the stat sheet as the high-flyer not only grabbed an impressive 9 boards, but also snagged 3 key thefts on the defensive end. The Waves were led by Thompson’s 25 and got some gutsy contributions by point-guard Lorne Jackson (18 points) and big man Corbin Moore (9 pts and 13 rebounds).
The Utes were paced by Brown’s 21 and Henderson’s 20, but were unable to establish consistent scoring down low and were hampered by shooting just 32 percent from behind the arc.
But, to Malibu?
by Cub Buenning
When a late-December game takes place on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, you know you are in the heart of college basketball. Right?
Christmas came a couple days early for us at Cub Scouts as we took a break from a Southern Californian family holiday to take in an intra-conference match-up between the home Pepperdine Waves and the visiting Runnin’ Utes of Utah. The game pitted two teams with early season struggles looking for one last chance to “get right” before the grind of their respective conference schedules.
The 2008-2009 Mountain West Conference regular season champs, and an NCAA-tournament team, the Utes are far different from last year’s installment. Gone are several key components of that squad including guard Tyler Kepkay and the Aussie mountain in the middle, Luke Nevill. Still around for Jim Boylen’s team are the talented backcourt of 6-5 Serbian senior point Luca Drca and the rugged, but effectively smooth play of junior Carlon Brown.
On the other hand, the Waves of the West Coast Conference (annually dominated by Gonzaga) are led by sophomore scoring sensation, Keion Bell, who made major notoriety this fall with the YouTube release of him dunking over 5 of his buddies. (For real, check this out, if you haven’t yet been versed.) Bell is partnered by junior swingman Mychel Thompson, the son of the former Laker and older brother of Klay, who is lighting it up for Washinton State. Another ex-NBAer’s progeny, Dane Suttle Jr. (whose dad of the same name is Pepperdine’s all-time leading scorer) has emerged as a third threat.(In a crowd of just under a thousand, it was a current NBAer that got the attention of several in attendance, as Clipper center, Chris Kaman decided to venture through Topanga Canyon to take in a college game on an off-day. The 7th-year player couldn’t have been more gracious and took a few minutes to talk about the game and the holidays. (Seems Utah’s assistant Jeff Smith was one of Kaman’s at Central Michigan and had invited him to the game just minutes from the Staples Center.)
While the home team never seemed able to salt away a game they led throughout, the Waves were able to finally put away the Utes, winning 76-64.
The home team was the aggressor from the opening tip, making one successful foray to the hoop after another. Without the services of the departed Neville and an injury to current 7-3 monster, David Foster, the middle of the paint was wide open, much to the delight of the driving Waves players. Buoyed by the early interior advantage, Pepperdine sped off to an early 30-13 advantage.
The key players for both teams showed up on this night, as well as a young baby-faced guard for Utah by the name of Marshall Henderson. The 6-2 freshman from Texas (seemed to be a surprising number of Texans on the Utah roster) was a threat to score from everywhere on the court and his play early in the second half was instrumental in the Utes staying within range.But whenever the visitors from the SLC pulled to within a couple baskets it was the LA-kid Bell that proved the difference, as he turned his first-half passivity into second-half fury. The 6-3 guard drove the ball with fervor and ease, netting 13 of his 17 points in the game’s second 20 minutes, predominately from drives to the hole and the slew of subsequent free throws (where he hit 9-10.) Bell was also omnipresent on the stat sheet as the high-flyer not only grabbed an impressive 9 boards, but also snagged 3 key thefts on the defensive end. The Waves were led by Thompson’s 25 and got some gutsy contributions by point-guard Lorne Jackson (18 points) and big man Corbin Moore (9 pts and 13 rebounds).
The Utes were paced by Brown’s 21 and Henderson’s 20, but were unable to establish consistent scoring down low and were hampered by shooting just 32 percent from behind the arc.
Thompson Earns WCC Player of the Week Honor
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 01/11/2010
MALIBU, Calif. - Junior forward Mychel Thompson of the Pepperdine men's basketball team has been named the West Coast Conference's co-Player of the Week, the league office announced today.
Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) scored a game-high 22 points in Pepperdine's 79-75 victory over Loyola Marymount and had one of the best three-point performances in school history. He made a career-high six three pointers on seven attempts (the school record for percentage is 1.000 at 6-for-6).
He also pulled down a game-high-tying eight rebounds while adding three assists and three blocked shots as the Waves were victorious in the 150th meeting between the two rivals. Thompson scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half as Pepperdine rallied from a 38-25 halftime deficit.
During the game, he moved into Pepperdine's career top 10 in three-pointers made. He knocked Shan Ferch out of 10th place as Thompson now has 115 in his three seasons. He'll next pass Alex Acker, who had 120 from 2003-05.
It was Thompson's third time this season with 20 or more points and the seventh of his career. He is second on the team with an 11.9 scoring average. Thompson shared the award with Matt Bouldin of Gonzaga. This is his first career weekly honor.
Pepperdine (5-12, 1-0) continues WCC play at home this week with games against Santa Clara (Thursday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.) and San Francisco (Saturday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.). The Santa Clara game will be on ESPNU. Fans can watch the webcasts and listen to Al Epstein's broadcasts at www.pepperdinesports.com with a subscription to Wave Casts.
