Pepperdine University
Missouri State
Waves Fall at Missouri State in NIT Consolation Game
11/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2010
Pepperdine-Missouri State Box Score 
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Senior forward Mychel Thompson scored a game-high 20 points and became the 36th 1,000-point scorer in Pepperdine men's basketball history, but the Waves lost at Missouri State, 80-60, on Monday night in a 2010 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game.
Thompson (Portland, Ore./Santa Margarita Catholic HS/Stoneridge Prep) hit a half-court shot at the halftime buzzer to pull the Waves (1-4) within three points at the break, 29-26, but the Bears (3-2) shot 70% from the field in the second half.
The Waves played without junior guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS), the team's leading scorer at 22.0 points per game. It was reported during Pepperdine's radio broadcast that Bell suffered a wrist injury at practice.
Thompson went 7-for-14 from the field and hit four of six three-pointers while also contributing four steals. He hit the 1,000-point mark in the 100th game of his career. Junior forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) had a season-high 15 points to go with a team-high six rebounds. No one else had more than five points.
The Waves took their only lead at 5-2 after a three-pointer by junior guard Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep). The Bears then immediately went on a 13-2 run to go up by eight at 15-7. Missouri State took its first double-digit lead at 24-14 and went up by as many as 13 at 29-16.
Thompson nearly single-handedly sent Pepperdine into halftime on a high point, however, as he scored eight points during a 10-0 run over the final 1:20 to cut the deficit to three at 29-26. Thompson made two foul shots and then sank a three-pointer that put him over the 1,000-point mark. That was followed by two free throws by sophomore guard Joshua Lowery (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS). In the final seconds, Thompson made a steal and launched a shot from beyond the half-court line that went in.
Missouri State began the second half on a 15-3 run, however, to go ahead by the score of 44-29. The Bears kept a double-digit lead the remainder of the half thanks to the fact they hit 14 of 20 second-half shots. Pepperdine shot an excellent 54.5% in the second half but it wasn't enough.
For the game, the Waves were outshot 60.5% to 42.9% and outrebounded 33-22.
Pepperdine plays its fourth and final game of the NIT Season Tip-Off against Arkansas State on Tuesday (Nov. 23) at 4:30 p.m. CT/2:30 p.m. PT. Fans can listen to Al Epstein's call of the game for free via Wave Casts at www.pepperdinesports.com.
Arkansas State (0-4) lost to Pacific, 77-70, in Monday's first game. That game had a 16-minute delay due to a tornado warning.
