Pepperdine-UC Irvine Box Score 
IRVINE, Calif. - A late run over the final 3 1/2 minutes saw the Pepperdine men's basketball team fall at UC Irvine, 74-61, on Monday night in the Bren Events Center.
The Waves (3-10) were within just two points at 61-59 with 3:35 to play, but the Anteaters (6-5) scored the next 13 points and Pepperdine wasn't able to score again until the final buzzer.
Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) scored 16 points, sophomore forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) had 15 points and sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) added 13 points, although sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) was held to a season-low nine points.
UCI got a game-high 23 points from Eric Wise.
Pepperdine had a 39-34 rebounding edge and shot a season-best 56.3% on three-pointers (9-for-16), but couldn't overcome 21 turnovers and UCI's 31-10 edge in points off turnovers. Overall shooting was fairly even, with the Anteaters holding a 44.4%-43.1% edge.
An entertaining first half saw the Waves go into the break with a 40-37 lead, with both teams shooting 52% from the field. Pepperdine made seven of its 11 first-half three-pointers. Thompson (11), Suttle (10), Bell (nine) and Jackson (eight) scored 38 of the 40 points. It was Pepperdine's second-highest first-half point total of the season.
Bell scored Pepperdine's first five points and Thompson had the next five as the Waves got off to a 10-4 start just 4 1/2 minutes into the game. The Anteaters hit three straight three-pointers, however, to take a 13-10 lead that they would hold for a while.
At one point Suttle scored 10 of Pepperdine's points in a row, and five of them came in just a few seconds. He made a lay-up and was fouled, and although he missed the free throw, sophomore forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) grabbed it and threw it back to Suttle. He had already stepped a few feet back, so after catching the pass, Suttle drained a three-pointer, tying the game at 30-30 with six minutes to go in the half.
A three-pointer by Jackson gave Pepperdine its first lead since early in the game at 33-32 with 4:15 left. A late 7-0 run that included five points by Jackson helped Pepperdine to a five-point advantage at 40-35, though UCI's Wise hit a short jumper with one second left before halftime to cut into the lead.
Pepperdine's offense dropped off in the second half, though their defense kept them in the game until the end.
The Waves led by four at 47-43 with 16:15 to play after a tip-dunk by sophomore center Corbin Moore (Cypress, Calif./Los Alamitos HS). But an 8-0 UCI run over the next 4 1/2 minutes put the Anteaters back ahead at 51-47. And although the Waves went 8 1/2 minutes without a field goal, they kept things close with the help of a few free throws. A three-pointer by Suttle with 7:40 to play ended the drought, and Pepperdine only trailed by two at 55-53.
It was still a two-point game when Jackson took away a defensive rebound from a UCI player and laid the ball in, making the score 61-59 with 3 1/2 minutes left. But the Anteaters scored on six of their final eight possessions and the Waves were hurt by turnovers down the stretch.
The Waves play once more prior to Christmas, as they host Utah on Wednesday (Dec. 23) at 7 p.m. in Firestone Fieldhouse. Fans can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast at www.pepperdinesports.com with a subscription to Wave Casts.
