MALIBU, Calif. (AP)--Gonzaga rebounded from a disappointing conference defeat with a rout.
Matt Bouldin had 18 points and five assists, and Elias Harris scored 13 points to lead No. 13 Gonzaga to a 72-54 victory over Pepperdine on Saturday night.
Robert Sacre and Steven Gray scored 12 points apiece and Sacre added a career-high six blocks for the Bulldogs (22-5, 10-2 West Coast), who have won 14 of 16 games.
On Thursday night, Gonzaga lost 74-66 to Loyola Marymount for only the third time since 1996.
"I just challenged them," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said of his players. "You can't approach these games like that. You're getting everybody's best shot."
Bouldin said that Few's approach worked.
"That LMU game, we didn't come out with the same kind of fire we had all season," Bouldin said. "Tonight, we really made a focus to push the ball and to play defense the way we have all season. It really made the difference."
Gonzaga made its first 10 shots in building a 30-11 lead with 9:59 left in the first half. Gray scored 10 points during the game's first 4:45 and Bouldin added eight points during the run.
Pepperdine's Keion Bell, the West Coast Conference's second-leading scorer, took only four shots in the first half and missed three. He finished the half with three points.
"He's a really crafty, shifty player one-on-one," Gray said. "He handles the ball so well. But the guys behind me just built a wall against him. When he was getting the ball and driving, he was looking at three or four sets of eyes."
The Bulldogs led by as many as 24 points, scored 28 points in the lane and 16 points off turnovers, and forced the Waves to shoot 27.1 percent for the game.
Gonzaga needs one more victory to secure the top seed in the West Coast Conference tournament and at least a tie for its 10th consecutive regular-season championship.
Bell finished with 17 points and tied a season best with 10 rebounds for the Waves (7-21, 3-9), who have lost nine consecutive games and 11 of 14. Mychel Thompson added 11 points.
Gonzaga (22-5, 10-2) extended its winning streak against Pepperdine to 18 games dating from 2002.
With the University of Portland's (8-4 WCC) 77-68 overtime loss at LMU Saturday night, only Saint Mary's College (9-3 WCC) stands in the way of the Bulldogs wrapping up a 10th straight WCC regular-season crown. With two games remaining the Bulldogs need one win or one SMC loss to clinch no worse than a tie for the title. Gonzaga hosts Santa Clara University Thursday and the University of San Francisco Saturday to bring the curtain down on the WCC season. SMC hosts Pepperdine and LMU to conclude WCC play.
MALIBU, Calif. — Matt Bouldin had 18 points and five assists to help No. 13 Gonzaga bounce back from a rare conference loss with a 72-54 victory over Pepperdine on Saturday night.
Elias Harris added 13 points and Steven Gray 12 for the Bulldogs (22-5, 10-2 West Coast Conference), beaten 74-66 at Loyola Marymount on Thursday. Robert Sacre also had 12 points to go with a career-high six blocks as Gonzaga won for the 14th time in 16 games.
The Bulldogs need one more win to secure the top seed in the WCC tournament and clinch at least a tie for their 10th consecutive regular-season championship. They have won 18 in a row against Pepperdine dating to 2002.
Keion Bell scored 17 points and matched a season best with 10 rebounds for the struggling Waves (7-21, 3-9), who have lost nine straight and 11 of 14 overall. Mychel Thompson added 11 points.
Gonzaga made its first 10 shots in building a 30-11 lead with 9:59 left in the first half. Gray scored 10 points during the first 4:45 and Bouldin added eight during the run.
Bell, the West Coast Conference's second-leading scorer, took only four shots in the first half and missed three. He finished the half with three points.
The Bulldogs led by as many as 24. They scored 28 points in the lane and 16 off turnovers, holding Pepperdine to 27.1 percent shooting for the game.
The Associated Press
Men's Hoops Falls to #13 Gonzaga
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 02/20/2010
Pepperdine-Gonzaga Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - #13 Gonzaga's hot start was the difference as the visiting Bulldogs defeated the Pepperdine men's basketball team, 72-54, on Saturday night in West Coast Conference action.
The Bulldogs (22-5, 10-2) hit their first 10 shots of the game and took a 28-11 lead a little more than eight minutes into the contest.
Pepperdine (7-21, 3-9) played Gonzaga almost evenly the rest of the way, and even outscored the Bulldogs in the second half, 35-32.
A near capacity crowd of 3,021 watched Pepperdine's final home game of the season.
Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) led the Waves with his second double-double of the season as he posted 17 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) added 11 points.
Gonzaga, which outshot the Waves 52.9% to 27.1%, got 18 points from Matt Bouldin, 13 from Elias Harris and 12 apiece from Robert Sacre and Steven Gray.
Pepperdine enjoyed a 47-37 rebounding edge, which included 26 offensive rebounds. The Waves had a 23-9 edge in second-chance points.
Pepperdine, which has no seniors and has a roster where 11 of the 15 players are underclassmen, was led in scoring by its sophomore class for the 27th time in 28 games. The Waves announced earlier this week that sophomore Dane Suttle Jr., who was averaging 7.7 points, will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.
The Waves play their final two regular-season games on the road next week, as they visit Saint Mary's (Thursday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.) and San Diego (Saturday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m.). The WCC Tournament in Las Vegas follows the week after. Fans can listen to Al Epstein's broadcasts at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?SPSID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts.
will miss the remainder of the season and will have surgery on an injured left ankle. His last appearance was on Feb. 13 at Santa Clara. He was a key contributor through the non-conference season and was one of the top three-point shooters in the conference midway through the year. Through the first 16 games of the season, he was averaging 10.8 points per game, second on the team. But as his chronic ankle injury worsened, his output declined, and in West Coast Conference play he averaged 2.4 points. His final season stats will show four starts in 24 games with averages of 7.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 19.1 minutes.
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 nearly two-thirds (64.8%) of Pepperdine's scoring. The sophomores have been the top-scoring class in every game but one this season.
THE TRIO - The Waves have been at their best in conference play when Keion Bell, Mychel Thompson and Lorne Jackson all have good games on the same night. In conference play, they have averaged a combined 42.1 points per game (that's nearly two-thirds of all of the Waves' scoring).
KEION BELL - Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) has been one of the most exciting and prolific players on the West Coast in 2009-10. He is currently averaging 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He now ranks #2 in the WCC and #32 in the nation in scoring (he ranked as high as ninth nationally in early December). He is the fifth-highest-scoring sophomore in the country. At various points this season, he has been one of just a handful of players in the nation averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Bell has scored more than 20 points in 14 games this season, including a career-high 37 at Gonzaga. He's been in double-figures in every game but three. At the pace he's on, he could become Pepperdine's 35th 1,000-point scorer by the end of his sophomore season (he's got 940). In the WCC rankings, he's also sixth in steals (1.4), seventh in assists, 10th in minutes (32.3) and 15th in rebounding.
MYCHEL THOMPSON - Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) was selected as team captain for 2009-10 after a landslide vote by his teammates. He is Pepperdine's only player that has been with the team for two full seasons. Thompson is averaging 12.1 points this season (second-best on the team) and 9.8 points for his career. He has broken into Pepperdine's career top 10 in three-pointers made this season (he's now #7 with 137, Brandon Armstong is #6 at 142). He's been in double-figures in nine of the last 12 games and is averaging 13.3 ppg in conference play. He scored a career-high-tying 25 points in a win vs. Utah. Since starting the season 0-for-21 from beyond the arc, he's improved to 14th in the WCC in three-point field-goal percentage (.362). Thompson's 6-for-7 three-point performance vs. LMU nearly equaled the school record for single-game percentage (6-for-6, 1.000).
LORNE JACKSON - Sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) is averaging 9.6 points per game in conference play, and he has seen his overall scoring average go to 8.3 ppg. He posted a career-high 21 points vs. San Francisco. He's also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in WCC games. 
2009-10 HONORS - Keion Bell was named to the preseason All-WCC first team ... Bell (26.7 ppg) was named MVP of the World Vision Challenge at Wyoming and Dane Suttle Jr. (15.3 ppg) also made the all-tournament team ... Mychel Thompson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 11 after scoring a game-high 22 points and making six of seven three-pointers in a win vs. LMU ... Lorne Jackson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 18 after averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in victories over Santa Clara and San Francisco ... Pepperdine has two WCC POTW honors in the same season for the first time since 2004-05, and had its first back-to-back winners since December 2002.
2009-10 NOTABLES - The Waves were down 12 to Cal State San Bernardino with 8 1/2 minutes to play but came back to win by three ... The Waves were the team champion at the World Vision Challenge in Wyoming ... Pepperdine's win over Utah came against a 2009 NCAA Tournament team ... In the 150th meeting ever with LMU, the Waves came back from a 17-point first-half deficit to post a victory in the first game of WCC play ... Pepperdine beat Santa Clara at home for the 13th time in the last 14 meetings ... Pepperdine started 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2005 and 3-0 for the first time since 2002 (a year that the Waves started 11-0 en route to a 13-1 record and a tie for first in the WCC with Gonzaga) ... At 3-0, the Waves were three games over .500 in league play for the first time since 2004 ... Although it was a loss, the Waves' seven-point loss at Gonzaga was an excellent effort and gave them their closest margin of defeat in Spokane in the last 10 years.
BELL'S 37-POINT GAME - The 37-point performance by Keion Bell at Gonzaga on Jan. 21 was extremely memorable for many reasons: 34 of the 37 points came in the second half ... He set the McCarthey Athletic Center record for points by an opponent ... Along with his 34-point game vs. Monmouth, he has the two highest scoring games in the WCC this season ... His second-half slam dunk over Gonzaga 7-footer Robert Sacre made ESPN SportsCenter's Plays of the Day ... Bell made 14 of 21 shots, three of four three-pointers and six of eight free throws ... He scored 22 of Pepperdine's first 24 second-half points in an eight-minute span ... The last time a Pepperdine player scored more points was in January 2001 when Brandon Armstrong notched 40 against Loyola Marymount ... It tied as the 24th-best single-game performance in Pepperdine history, and by players other than scoring great Bird Averitt, it was the eighth best.
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).
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.
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.
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.
HECTOR HAROLD - 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.
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 did for the first 16 games of the season. The Waves played 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 were at home.
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.
and 17th in a row over the Waves."We survived that one," said Bouldin, who made 10 of 16 shots. "But to give up 30-something points to one player in the second half is unacceptable."Pepperdine opened the WCC season with three wins, and these were the last two unbeaten teams in league play."I'm not big on moral victories," Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. "It's a loss."
Matt Bouldin had 18 points and five assists, and Elias Harris scored 13 points to lead No. 13 Gonzaga to a 72-54 victory over Pepperdine on Saturday night.
Robert Sacre and Steven Gray scored 12 points apiece and Sacre added a career-high six blocks for the Bulldogs (22-5, 10-2 West Coast), who have won 14 of 16 games.
On Thursday night, Gonzaga lost 74-66 to Loyola Marymount for only the third time since 1996.
"I just challenged them," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said of his players. "You can't approach these games like that. You're getting everybody's best shot."
Bouldin said that Few's approach worked.
"That LMU game, we didn't come out with the same kind of fire we had all season," Bouldin said. "Tonight, we really made a focus to push the ball and to play defense the way we have all season. It really made the difference."
Gonzaga made its first 10 shots in building a 30-11 lead with 9:59 left in the first half. Gray scored 10 points during the game's first 4:45 and Bouldin added eight points during the run.
Pepperdine's Keion Bell, the West Coast Conference's second-leading scorer, took only four shots in the first half and missed three. He finished the half with three points.
"He's a really crafty, shifty player one-on-one," Gray said. "He handles the ball so well. But the guys behind me just built a wall against him. When he was getting the ball and driving, he was looking at three or four sets of eyes."The Bulldogs led by as many as 24 points, scored 28 points in the lane and 16 points off turnovers, and forced the Waves to shoot 27.1 percent for the game.
Gonzaga needs one more victory to secure the top seed in the West Coast Conference tournament and at least a tie for its 10th consecutive regular-season championship.
Bell finished with 17 points and tied a season best with 10 rebounds for the Waves (7-21, 3-9), who have lost nine consecutive games and 11 of 14. Mychel Thompson added 11 points.
Gonzaga (22-5, 10-2) extended its winning streak against Pepperdine to 18 games dating from 2002.
With the University of Portland's (8-4 WCC) 77-68 overtime loss at LMU Saturday night, only Saint Mary's College (9-3 WCC) stands in the way of the Bulldogs wrapping up a 10th straight WCC regular-season crown. With two games remaining the Bulldogs need one win or one SMC loss to clinch no worse than a tie for the title. Gonzaga hosts Santa Clara University Thursday and the University of San Francisco Saturday to bring the curtain down on the WCC season. SMC hosts Pepperdine and LMU to conclude WCC play.
MALIBU, Calif. — Matt Bouldin had 18 points and five assists to help No. 13 Gonzaga bounce back from a rare conference loss with a 72-54 victory over Pepperdine on Saturday night.
Elias Harris added 13 points and Steven Gray 12 for the Bulldogs (22-5, 10-2 West Coast Conference), beaten 74-66 at Loyola Marymount on Thursday. Robert Sacre also had 12 points to go with a career-high six blocks as Gonzaga won for the 14th time in 16 games.
The Bulldogs need one more win to secure the top seed in the WCC tournament and clinch at least a tie for their 10th consecutive regular-season championship. They have won 18 in a row against Pepperdine dating to 2002.
Keion Bell scored 17 points and matched a season best with 10 rebounds for the struggling Waves (7-21, 3-9), who have lost nine straight and 11 of 14 overall. Mychel Thompson added 11 points.Gonzaga made its first 10 shots in building a 30-11 lead with 9:59 left in the first half. Gray scored 10 points during the first 4:45 and Bouldin added eight during the run.
Bell, the West Coast Conference's second-leading scorer, took only four shots in the first half and missed three. He finished the half with three points.
The Bulldogs led by as many as 24. They scored 28 points in the lane and 16 off turnovers, holding Pepperdine to 27.1 percent shooting for the game.
The Associated Press
Men's Hoops Falls to #13 Gonzaga
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 02/20/2010
Pepperdine-Gonzaga Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - #13 Gonzaga's hot start was the difference as the visiting Bulldogs defeated the Pepperdine men's basketball team, 72-54, on Saturday night in West Coast Conference action.
The Bulldogs (22-5, 10-2) hit their first 10 shots of the game and took a 28-11 lead a little more than eight minutes into the contest.
Pepperdine (7-21, 3-9) played Gonzaga almost evenly the rest of the way, and even outscored the Bulldogs in the second half, 35-32.
A near capacity crowd of 3,021 watched Pepperdine's final home game of the season.Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) led the Waves with his second double-double of the season as he posted 17 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) added 11 points.
Gonzaga, which outshot the Waves 52.9% to 27.1%, got 18 points from Matt Bouldin, 13 from Elias Harris and 12 apiece from Robert Sacre and Steven Gray.
Pepperdine enjoyed a 47-37 rebounding edge, which included 26 offensive rebounds. The Waves had a 23-9 edge in second-chance points.
Pepperdine, which has no seniors and has a roster where 11 of the 15 players are underclassmen, was led in scoring by its sophomore class for the 27th time in 28 games. The Waves announced earlier this week that sophomore Dane Suttle Jr., who was averaging 7.7 points, will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.
The Waves play their final two regular-season games on the road next week, as they visit Saint Mary's (Thursday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.) and San Diego (Saturday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m.). The WCC Tournament in Las Vegas follows the week after. Fans can listen to Al Epstein's broadcasts at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?SPSID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts.
Men's Hoops Ends Home Season vs. Gonzaga
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 02/19/2010
Pepperdine Men's Basketball Game Notes
THE FACTS - A near sellout is expected as the Pepperdine men's basketball team concludes its home season against #13 Gonzaga on Saturday. It's an early start time (6 p.m.) due to the game being on FOX Sports West. Pepperdine finishes the regular season next week on the road, and the West Coast Conference Tournament follows the week after in Las Vegas.
GAME #28 - Saturday (Feb. 20) at Firestone Fieldhouse: Pepperdine (7-20, 3-8) vs. Gonzaga (21-5, 9-2) at 6 p.m. Gonzaga is ranked #13 by the Associated Press and #9 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
TELEVISION - The Pepperdine-Portland game will be shown locally on FOX Sports West. Greg Heister and Craig Ehlo 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 25th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Most 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. 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 - For the Gonzaga game, all fans are encouraged to wear orange and the first 750 fans will receive a Pepperdine T-shirt (sponsored by the Law Offices of Hiepler and Hiepler). Postgame, fans will receive a coupon to Dick's Sporting Goods and the first 400 students will get an In-N-Out Burger ... If the Waves are victorious and score 75 points or more, 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.
GONZAGA TICKETS - As with previous years, the Pepperdine-Gonzaga men's basketball game is expected to be very heavily attended. To ensure that as many Pepperdine students, faculty and staff can be accommodated with the limited number of seats that are available, please note that one dollar tickets may be purchased in advance by these three groups. A Pepperdine ID must be brought to the game. More information is available at www.pepperdinesports.com.
GONZAGA - Pepperdine is 31-37 all-time against Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have won 17 straight in the series and seven consecutive in Firestone Fieldhouse (last Pepperdine win: 2002 in Malibu). The bulk of the Waves' success came during Tom Asbury's first stint, when he was 16-4 against the Bulldogs as an assistant coach and 10-3 as a head coach.
LAST TIME VS. GONZAGA - Back on Jan. 21 at the McCarthey Athletic Center ... Keion Bell exploded for 34 of his career-high 37 points in the second half to help Pepperdine to one of its best showings at Gonzaga in years, but the then-#15 Bulldogs held on for a 91-84 home victory. It was the closest margin in the last 10 seasons in Spokane. Gonzaga led by as many as 15 in both halves, but Bell, Lorne Jackson (17 points) and Mychel Thompson (13 points) would not let the Bulldogs pull away. The Waves closed the gap to six points several times in the second half. Pepperdine scored a season-high 84 points, including 55 in the second half. The two old rivals entered the game as the only two unbeaten teams left in WCC play.
LAST GAME - Keion Bell had team highs of 23 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, but Pepperdine lost at home to Portland, 83-62, on Thursday (Feb. 18). Taylor Darby posted 11 points and Jonathan Dupre' scored 10. Pepperdine led briefly in the first half but Portland went into halftime with a 35-30 lead, and led by as many as 24 in the second half.
ROSTER - There are no seniors on the 2009-10 squad, and 11 of the 15 players are underclassmen. The roster features four juniors, seven sophomores and four true freshmen. Pepperdine does return 11 letterwinners from last season (believed to be among the most in school history). Twelve players are on scholarship and three are walk-ons.
SUTTLE OUT - Sophomore guard/forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep)
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 02/19/2010
Pepperdine Men's Basketball Game Notes
THE FACTS - A near sellout is expected as the Pepperdine men's basketball team concludes its home season against #13 Gonzaga on Saturday. It's an early start time (6 p.m.) due to the game being on FOX Sports West. Pepperdine finishes the regular season next week on the road, and the West Coast Conference Tournament follows the week after in Las Vegas.
GAME #28 - Saturday (Feb. 20) at Firestone Fieldhouse: Pepperdine (7-20, 3-8) vs. Gonzaga (21-5, 9-2) at 6 p.m. Gonzaga is ranked #13 by the Associated Press and #9 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.TELEVISION - The Pepperdine-Portland game will be shown locally on FOX Sports West. Greg Heister and Craig Ehlo 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 25th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Most 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. 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 - For the Gonzaga game, all fans are encouraged to wear orange and the first 750 fans will receive a Pepperdine T-shirt (sponsored by the Law Offices of Hiepler and Hiepler). Postgame, fans will receive a coupon to Dick's Sporting Goods and the first 400 students will get an In-N-Out Burger ... If the Waves are victorious and score 75 points or more, 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.
GONZAGA TICKETS - As with previous years, the Pepperdine-Gonzaga men's basketball game is expected to be very heavily attended. To ensure that as many Pepperdine students, faculty and staff can be accommodated with the limited number of seats that are available, please note that one dollar tickets may be purchased in advance by these three groups. A Pepperdine ID must be brought to the game. More information is available at www.pepperdinesports.com.GONZAGA - Pepperdine is 31-37 all-time against Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have won 17 straight in the series and seven consecutive in Firestone Fieldhouse (last Pepperdine win: 2002 in Malibu). The bulk of the Waves' success came during Tom Asbury's first stint, when he was 16-4 against the Bulldogs as an assistant coach and 10-3 as a head coach.
LAST TIME VS. GONZAGA - Back on Jan. 21 at the McCarthey Athletic Center ... Keion Bell exploded for 34 of his career-high 37 points in the second half to help Pepperdine to one of its best showings at Gonzaga in years, but the then-#15 Bulldogs held on for a 91-84 home victory. It was the closest margin in the last 10 seasons in Spokane. Gonzaga led by as many as 15 in both halves, but Bell, Lorne Jackson (17 points) and Mychel Thompson (13 points) would not let the Bulldogs pull away. The Waves closed the gap to six points several times in the second half. Pepperdine scored a season-high 84 points, including 55 in the second half. The two old rivals entered the game as the only two unbeaten teams left in WCC play.
LAST GAME - Keion Bell had team highs of 23 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, but Pepperdine lost at home to Portland, 83-62, on Thursday (Feb. 18). Taylor Darby posted 11 points and Jonathan Dupre' scored 10. Pepperdine led briefly in the first half but Portland went into halftime with a 35-30 lead, and led by as many as 24 in the second half.
ROSTER - There are no seniors on the 2009-10 squad, and 11 of the 15 players are underclassmen. The roster features four juniors, seven sophomores and four true freshmen. Pepperdine does return 11 letterwinners from last season (believed to be among the most in school history). Twelve players are on scholarship and three are walk-ons.SUTTLE OUT - Sophomore guard/forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep)
will miss the remainder of the season and will have surgery on an injured left ankle. His last appearance was on Feb. 13 at Santa Clara. He was a key contributor through the non-conference season and was one of the top three-point shooters in the conference midway through the year. Through the first 16 games of the season, he was averaging 10.8 points per game, second on the team. But as his chronic ankle injury worsened, his output declined, and in West Coast Conference play he averaged 2.4 points. His final season stats will show four starts in 24 games with averages of 7.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 19.1 minutes.
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 nearly two-thirds (64.8%) of Pepperdine's scoring. The sophomores have been the top-scoring class in every game but one this season.THE TRIO - The Waves have been at their best in conference play when Keion Bell, Mychel Thompson and Lorne Jackson all have good games on the same night. In conference play, they have averaged a combined 42.1 points per game (that's nearly two-thirds of all of the Waves' scoring).
KEION BELL - Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) has been one of the most exciting and prolific players on the West Coast in 2009-10. He is currently averaging 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He now ranks #2 in the WCC and #32 in the nation in scoring (he ranked as high as ninth nationally in early December). He is the fifth-highest-scoring sophomore in the country. At various points this season, he has been one of just a handful of players in the nation averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Bell has scored more than 20 points in 14 games this season, including a career-high 37 at Gonzaga. He's been in double-figures in every game but three. At the pace he's on, he could become Pepperdine's 35th 1,000-point scorer by the end of his sophomore season (he's got 940). In the WCC rankings, he's also sixth in steals (1.4), seventh in assists, 10th in minutes (32.3) and 15th in rebounding.
MYCHEL THOMPSON - Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) was selected as team captain for 2009-10 after a landslide vote by his teammates. He is Pepperdine's only player that has been with the team for two full seasons. Thompson is averaging 12.1 points this season (second-best on the team) and 9.8 points for his career. He has broken into Pepperdine's career top 10 in three-pointers made this season (he's now #7 with 137, Brandon Armstong is #6 at 142). He's been in double-figures in nine of the last 12 games and is averaging 13.3 ppg in conference play. He scored a career-high-tying 25 points in a win vs. Utah. Since starting the season 0-for-21 from beyond the arc, he's improved to 14th in the WCC in three-point field-goal percentage (.362). Thompson's 6-for-7 three-point performance vs. LMU nearly equaled the school record for single-game percentage (6-for-6, 1.000).
LORNE JACKSON - Sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) is averaging 9.6 points per game in conference play, and he has seen his overall scoring average go to 8.3 ppg. He posted a career-high 21 points vs. San Francisco. He's also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in WCC games. 
2009-10 HONORS - Keion Bell was named to the preseason All-WCC first team ... Bell (26.7 ppg) was named MVP of the World Vision Challenge at Wyoming and Dane Suttle Jr. (15.3 ppg) also made the all-tournament team ... Mychel Thompson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 11 after scoring a game-high 22 points and making six of seven three-pointers in a win vs. LMU ... Lorne Jackson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 18 after averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in victories over Santa Clara and San Francisco ... Pepperdine has two WCC POTW honors in the same season for the first time since 2004-05, and had its first back-to-back winners since December 2002.
2009-10 NOTABLES - The Waves were down 12 to Cal State San Bernardino with 8 1/2 minutes to play but came back to win by three ... The Waves were the team champion at the World Vision Challenge in Wyoming ... Pepperdine's win over Utah came against a 2009 NCAA Tournament team ... In the 150th meeting ever with LMU, the Waves came back from a 17-point first-half deficit to post a victory in the first game of WCC play ... Pepperdine beat Santa Clara at home for the 13th time in the last 14 meetings ... Pepperdine started 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2005 and 3-0 for the first time since 2002 (a year that the Waves started 11-0 en route to a 13-1 record and a tie for first in the WCC with Gonzaga) ... At 3-0, the Waves were three games over .500 in league play for the first time since 2004 ... Although it was a loss, the Waves' seven-point loss at Gonzaga was an excellent effort and gave them their closest margin of defeat in Spokane in the last 10 years.
BELL'S 37-POINT GAME - The 37-point performance by Keion Bell at Gonzaga on Jan. 21 was extremely memorable for many reasons: 34 of the 37 points came in the second half ... He set the McCarthey Athletic Center record for points by an opponent ... Along with his 34-point game vs. Monmouth, he has the two highest scoring games in the WCC this season ... His second-half slam dunk over Gonzaga 7-footer Robert Sacre made ESPN SportsCenter's Plays of the Day ... Bell made 14 of 21 shots, three of four three-pointers and six of eight free throws ... He scored 22 of Pepperdine's first 24 second-half points in an eight-minute span ... The last time a Pepperdine player scored more points was in January 2001 when Brandon Armstrong notched 40 against Loyola Marymount ... It tied as the 24th-best single-game performance in Pepperdine history, and by players other than scoring great Bird Averitt, it was the eighth best.
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).
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.
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.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.
HECTOR HAROLD - 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.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 did for the first 16 games of the season. The Waves played 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 were at home.
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.
latimes.com/sports/college/basketball/la-sp-southland22-2010jan22,0,4296808.story
latimes.com
COLLEGE BASKETBALL / SOUTHLAND
Gonzaga holds off PepperdineWaves' Keion Bell scores 34 of his 37 points in the second half, but it's not enough.
latimes.com
COLLEGE BASKETBALL / SOUTHLAND
Gonzaga holds off PepperdineWaves' Keion Bell scores 34 of his 37 points in the second half, but it's not enough.
Associated Press
January 22, 2010
Matt Bouldin scored a career-high 32 points and No. 15 Gonzaga beat Pepperdine, 91-84, Thursday night at Spokane, Wash., to take sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference. Keion Bell single-handedly kept Pepperdine (7-13, 3-1 WCC) close in the second half, scoring 34 of his career-high 37 points. Gonzaga's Elias Harris had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Steven Gray had 20 points, as the Bulldogs (15-3, 4-0) won their seventh consecutive game
January 22, 2010
Matt Bouldin scored a career-high 32 points and No. 15 Gonzaga beat Pepperdine, 91-84, Thursday night at Spokane, Wash., to take sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference. Keion Bell single-handedly kept Pepperdine (7-13, 3-1 WCC) close in the second half, scoring 34 of his career-high 37 points. Gonzaga's Elias Harris had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Steven Gray had 20 points, as the Bulldogs (15-3, 4-0) won their seventh consecutive game
and 17th in a row over the Waves."We survived that one," said Bouldin, who made 10 of 16 shots. "But to give up 30-something points to one player in the second half is unacceptable."Pepperdine opened the WCC season with three wins, and these were the last two unbeaten teams in league play."I'm not big on moral victories," Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. "It's a loss."
Loyola Marymount scores first upset vs. ranked team since '90GONZ 66, LMU 74
Recap Box Score
Feb 18, 2010
Recap Box Score
ESPN.com news services
LOS ANGELES -- Ashley Hamilton beckoned his fellow students to celebrate with him on the court after leading Loyola Marymount to its biggest victory in 20 years.
Hamilton scored 17 points and Drew Viney had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Lions to a 74-66 upset of Gonzaga (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) on Thursday night.
After the final horn sounded, Hamilton and teammate Vernon Teel stood on the press tables and waved students onto the court. About 150 spectators overwhelmed campus security to mob the players.
"We just wanted to share that experience with them," said Hamilton, who tied a career high with three blocks. "Everybody talks about beating Gonzaga. To finally do it as a team, as a campus, as a community is a special feeling."
Loyola Marymount beat Gonzaga for just the third time in 31 meetings since 1996.
The victory was the Lions' first over a ranked team since the 1990 NCAA tournament, when they defeated Alabama in the West Regional semifinals. That was the team that featured Bo Kimble and the late Hank Gathers.
Reserve Larry Davis, a transfer from Seton Hall, added 12 points for the Lions (14-13, 5-6 West Coast Conference), who have won four of six. Kevin Young added 11 points and Jarred DuBois had 10 points.
"I always thought they had a very, very talented crew," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said of the Lions. "I mean, they've got a lot of pieces. For the most part, they consistently beat us to the basketball time and time again." Not since December could Loyola Marymount coach Max Good use his full complement of players.
"We had our full team probably for the first time since Long Beach State and Notre Dame," Good said of early season games. "Tonight, we had four guards and they were huge." Elias Harris had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs (21-5, 9-2), who had won 13 of their last 14, while Demetri Goodson and Steven Gray added 11 points apiece.
But Gonzaga shot just 34.4 percent from the field and Harris missed seven of 11 shots.
"He didn't shoot well but that was because of our defense," Viney said. "We really made sure we knew where he was every moment of every play. He's a special player and we had to put all of our attention on him to stop him."
Gonzaga, which led by as many as 10 points in the first half, was up 41-36 28 seconds into the second half when Loyola Marymount started its rally.
Young scored six points during a 14-4 run that put the Lions ahead 50-45 with 13:22 to play. The Bulldogs missed seven of their first eight shots from the field in the half.
"We had some really good looks," Few said. "We got some point-blankers. But we pretty much got throttled on our inside play and we thought we had a decided advantage in there."
Harris' 3-pointer narrowed Gonzaga's deficit to 52-50 but Loyola Marymount used a 14-6 run to go ahead 66-56 with 4:21 remaining.
The Bulldogs drew within 68-64 with 1:20 left, but Davis's layup on an inbounds pass from Vernon Teel as the shot clock expired extended the Lions' lead to six points with 43 seconds to play.
"That was a huge play," Good said of Davis' layup. "If we miss that and they get running, they could cut (the lead) to two. That's almost a four-point switch. But you could see the air kind of went out of them." Loyola Marymount scored 18 points in the paint and forced Gonzaga to miss 20 of 27 shots in the second half. The Bulldogs scored just 10 points, all on free throws, in a span of 7:15 during that half.
At one point during the game, Good appeared to put his left hand on the neck of player Kevin Young while on the bench. But late Thursday night, Good told ESPN.com that he was calming Young down and didn't grab him by the neck.
"He's extremely child-like and emotional,'' Good said. "His man had scored twice and I took him out. We were going to put him back in. He was saying it wasn't my fault and I hate this, and hate that. It was an emotional situation. There's no way I grabbed him by the neck. I was trying to calm him down. I didn't choke him at all.''
Recap Box Score
Feb 18, 2010
Recap Box Score
ESPN.com news services
LOS ANGELES -- Ashley Hamilton beckoned his fellow students to celebrate with him on the court after leading Loyola Marymount to its biggest victory in 20 years.
Hamilton scored 17 points and Drew Viney had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Lions to a 74-66 upset of Gonzaga (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) on Thursday night.
After the final horn sounded, Hamilton and teammate Vernon Teel stood on the press tables and waved students onto the court. About 150 spectators overwhelmed campus security to mob the players.
"We just wanted to share that experience with them," said Hamilton, who tied a career high with three blocks. "Everybody talks about beating Gonzaga. To finally do it as a team, as a campus, as a community is a special feeling."
Loyola Marymount beat Gonzaga for just the third time in 31 meetings since 1996.
The victory was the Lions' first over a ranked team since the 1990 NCAA tournament, when they defeated Alabama in the West Regional semifinals. That was the team that featured Bo Kimble and the late Hank Gathers.
Reserve Larry Davis, a transfer from Seton Hall, added 12 points for the Lions (14-13, 5-6 West Coast Conference), who have won four of six. Kevin Young added 11 points and Jarred DuBois had 10 points.
"I always thought they had a very, very talented crew," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said of the Lions. "I mean, they've got a lot of pieces. For the most part, they consistently beat us to the basketball time and time again." Not since December could Loyola Marymount coach Max Good use his full complement of players.
"We had our full team probably for the first time since Long Beach State and Notre Dame," Good said of early season games. "Tonight, we had four guards and they were huge." Elias Harris had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs (21-5, 9-2), who had won 13 of their last 14, while Demetri Goodson and Steven Gray added 11 points apiece.But Gonzaga shot just 34.4 percent from the field and Harris missed seven of 11 shots.
"He didn't shoot well but that was because of our defense," Viney said. "We really made sure we knew where he was every moment of every play. He's a special player and we had to put all of our attention on him to stop him."
Gonzaga, which led by as many as 10 points in the first half, was up 41-36 28 seconds into the second half when Loyola Marymount started its rally.
Young scored six points during a 14-4 run that put the Lions ahead 50-45 with 13:22 to play. The Bulldogs missed seven of their first eight shots from the field in the half.
"We had some really good looks," Few said. "We got some point-blankers. But we pretty much got throttled on our inside play and we thought we had a decided advantage in there."Harris' 3-pointer narrowed Gonzaga's deficit to 52-50 but Loyola Marymount used a 14-6 run to go ahead 66-56 with 4:21 remaining.
The Bulldogs drew within 68-64 with 1:20 left, but Davis's layup on an inbounds pass from Vernon Teel as the shot clock expired extended the Lions' lead to six points with 43 seconds to play.
"That was a huge play," Good said of Davis' layup. "If we miss that and they get running, they could cut (the lead) to two. That's almost a four-point switch. But you could see the air kind of went out of them." Loyola Marymount scored 18 points in the paint and forced Gonzaga to miss 20 of 27 shots in the second half. The Bulldogs scored just 10 points, all on free throws, in a span of 7:15 during that half.
At one point during the game, Good appeared to put his left hand on the neck of player Kevin Young while on the bench. But late Thursday night, Good told ESPN.com that he was calming Young down and didn't grab him by the neck.
"He's extremely child-like and emotional,'' Good said. "His man had scored twice and I took him out. We were going to put him back in. He was saying it wasn't my fault and I hate this, and hate that. It was an emotional situation. There's no way I grabbed him by the neck. I was trying to calm him down. I didn't choke him at all.''
LOS ANGELES - Shooting woes hampered Gonzaga University Thursday night and Loyola Marymount University (14-13, 5-6) got balanced scoring with five players in double figures in a 74-66 upset of Gonzaga University.
The Bulldogs (21-5, 9-2), ranked 9th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Top 25 and 13th in the Associated Press rankings, had won 13 of their last 14 games and four in a row heading into the contest. The loss also drops the Bulldogs to just a game ahead of the University of Portland (8-3) and Saint Mary's College (9-3), both winners on Thursday.
The Bulldogs shot just 34.4 percent from the field (21-for-61) for the game, their lowest percentage since shooting 27.8 percent (15-for-54) in a mid-December loss to Duke University in Madison Square Garden. Gonzaga began the game 4-for-4 from 3-point range then hit just two of its next 12 shots from beyond the arc to finish 6-for-16.
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said the Bulldogs had some good looks.
"We had some really good looks," Few said. "We got some point-blankers. But we pretty much got throttled on our inside play and we thought we had a decided advantage in there."
Elias Harris went 4-for-11 and Rob Sacre 0-for-5 inside, and Matt Bouldin (3-for-12) and Steven Gray (4-for-14) were cold from the perimeter.
The Lions, meanwhile, got 17 points from Ashley Hamilton, 16 from Drew Viney, 12 off the bench from Larry Davis, 11 from Kevin Young and 10 from Jarrod DuBois. Viney also contributed 10 rebounds and five assists. The victory was the Lions' first over a ranked team since the 1990 NCAA tournament, when they defeated the University of Alabama in the West Regional semifinals. LMU has won three of its last four outings.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few complimented the Lions.
"I always thought they had a very, very talented crew," Few said of the Lions. "I mean, they've got a lot of pieces. For the most part, they consistently beat us to the basketball time and time again."
The first half was a half of spurts. Bulldogs got a 3-pointer from the right top of the circle from Harris for the first points of the game, but LMU went on a 7-0 run fueled by 5 points from Viney. The Bulldogs came back with 6 straight for a 9-7 lead. The Bulldogs never trailed the remainder of the half, building a 10-point cushion at 22-12 with 13:08 to play when Kelly Olynyk drained the fourth Bulldog trey of the first half from the left top of the circle.
But the Lions wouldn't go away, scoring the next five points before Manny Arop hit a pair of buckets - including a 3-pointer - sandwiched around a Davis three from the left corner - and the Bulldogs still led by 7 with just under 10 minutes to go in the half.
Ahead 36-27 following a Demetri Goodson tip-in of a Harris miss, LMU ended the half with a 12-3 spurt to pull within 39-36 at the half.
The Bulldogs couldn't find any offensive consistency in the second half, nor could they generate a run to cut into the LMU lead until late in the game. The Lions opened the second half with a 14-6 run to take a 50-45 advantage with 13:21 to go. DuBois had a pair of threes and Davis a jumper from the left elbow and a fast break layin as the Lions took a lead they would never relinquish.
Until Harris made a free throw and Bol Kong followed with a pair of throws with 6:45 to play, the Bulldogs had been unable to string back-to-back points together, and the Bulldogs never did score back-to-back field goals in the second half. The biggest run Gonzaga put together in the second half was six points, coming on two free throws each by Harris and Arop and a layin by Bouldin to cut the LMU lead to 66-62 with 3:05 to play.
But Hamilton scored from the left of the lane, Goodson got a coast-to-coast layin and then the Lions got a huge play with the shot clock running down. The Zags knocked the ball out of bounds with two seconds on the shot clock. LMU had the ball out of bounds on the side and it deflected off a Zag and out of bounds, leaving the Lions with one tick left on the shot clock. Davis got loose cutting down the right side of the lane and got a layin on the inbounds pass. The referees reviewed the play on the television monitor and ruled the basket good to put the Lions up 70-64 with :41 to play.
"That was a huge play," LMU head coach Max Good said of Davis' layup. "If we miss that and they get running, they could cut (the lead) to two. That's almost a four-point switch."
Gonzaga got another layin from Bouldin to make it 70-66, but two free throws each by Viney and Vernon Teel sealed the win for the Bulldogs.
Gonzaga will try to salvage the split Saturday at Pepperdine University in a 6 p.m. game to be televised in Spokane on FOX28 because of KHQ-TV's coverage of the Olympics. FSN will also televise the game but fans should check their local listings for the FSN game in their area.
The Bulldogs (21-5, 9-2), ranked 9th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Top 25 and 13th in the Associated Press rankings, had won 13 of their last 14 games and four in a row heading into the contest. The loss also drops the Bulldogs to just a game ahead of the University of Portland (8-3) and Saint Mary's College (9-3), both winners on Thursday.
The Bulldogs shot just 34.4 percent from the field (21-for-61) for the game, their lowest percentage since shooting 27.8 percent (15-for-54) in a mid-December loss to Duke University in Madison Square Garden. Gonzaga began the game 4-for-4 from 3-point range then hit just two of its next 12 shots from beyond the arc to finish 6-for-16.Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said the Bulldogs had some good looks.
"We had some really good looks," Few said. "We got some point-blankers. But we pretty much got throttled on our inside play and we thought we had a decided advantage in there."
Elias Harris went 4-for-11 and Rob Sacre 0-for-5 inside, and Matt Bouldin (3-for-12) and Steven Gray (4-for-14) were cold from the perimeter.
The Lions, meanwhile, got 17 points from Ashley Hamilton, 16 from Drew Viney, 12 off the bench from Larry Davis, 11 from Kevin Young and 10 from Jarrod DuBois. Viney also contributed 10 rebounds and five assists. The victory was the Lions' first over a ranked team since the 1990 NCAA tournament, when they defeated the University of Alabama in the West Regional semifinals. LMU has won three of its last four outings.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few complimented the Lions.
"I always thought they had a very, very talented crew," Few said of the Lions. "I mean, they've got a lot of pieces. For the most part, they consistently beat us to the basketball time and time again."
The first half was a half of spurts. Bulldogs got a 3-pointer from the right top of the circle from Harris for the first points of the game, but LMU went on a 7-0 run fueled by 5 points from Viney. The Bulldogs came back with 6 straight for a 9-7 lead. The Bulldogs never trailed the remainder of the half, building a 10-point cushion at 22-12 with 13:08 to play when Kelly Olynyk drained the fourth Bulldog trey of the first half from the left top of the circle.But the Lions wouldn't go away, scoring the next five points before Manny Arop hit a pair of buckets - including a 3-pointer - sandwiched around a Davis three from the left corner - and the Bulldogs still led by 7 with just under 10 minutes to go in the half.
Ahead 36-27 following a Demetri Goodson tip-in of a Harris miss, LMU ended the half with a 12-3 spurt to pull within 39-36 at the half.
The Bulldogs couldn't find any offensive consistency in the second half, nor could they generate a run to cut into the LMU lead until late in the game. The Lions opened the second half with a 14-6 run to take a 50-45 advantage with 13:21 to go. DuBois had a pair of threes and Davis a jumper from the left elbow and a fast break layin as the Lions took a lead they would never relinquish.
Until Harris made a free throw and Bol Kong followed with a pair of throws with 6:45 to play, the Bulldogs had been unable to string back-to-back points together, and the Bulldogs never did score back-to-back field goals in the second half. The biggest run Gonzaga put together in the second half was six points, coming on two free throws each by Harris and Arop and a layin by Bouldin to cut the LMU lead to 66-62 with 3:05 to play.But Hamilton scored from the left of the lane, Goodson got a coast-to-coast layin and then the Lions got a huge play with the shot clock running down. The Zags knocked the ball out of bounds with two seconds on the shot clock. LMU had the ball out of bounds on the side and it deflected off a Zag and out of bounds, leaving the Lions with one tick left on the shot clock. Davis got loose cutting down the right side of the lane and got a layin on the inbounds pass. The referees reviewed the play on the television monitor and ruled the basket good to put the Lions up 70-64 with :41 to play.
"That was a huge play," LMU head coach Max Good said of Davis' layup. "If we miss that and they get running, they could cut (the lead) to two. That's almost a four-point switch."
Gonzaga got another layin from Bouldin to make it 70-66, but two free throws each by Viney and Vernon Teel sealed the win for the Bulldogs.
Gonzaga will try to salvage the split Saturday at Pepperdine University in a 6 p.m. game to be televised in Spokane on FOX28 because of KHQ-TV's coverage of the Olympics. FSN will also televise the game but fans should check their local listings for the FSN game in their area.
