Pepperdine University
Arkansas State
Men's Hoops Rallies to Beat Arkansas State, 69-62
11/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2010
Pepperdine-Arkansas State Box Score 
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A tremendous second-half effort allowed the Pepperdine men's basketball team to post a come-from-behind 69-62 victory against Arkansas State on Tuesday in a 2010 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game hosted by Missouri State.
The Waves (2-4) trailed by as many as 11 in the first half and 33-26 at halftime to the Red Wolves (0-5). Pepperdine battled back, however, and took the lead for good when a lay-up by sophomore guard Joshua Lowery (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS) made it 52-50 with a little more than five minutes to play. In the final 2 1/2 minutes, the Waves iced the win by going 10-for-11 from the free throw line.
Junior guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) led four players in double-figures with a season-high 16 points. In the first five games his previous best was six points.
Senior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Santa Margarita Catholic HS/Stoneridge Prep) scored 13 points, nine in the second half, while Lowery posted a career-high 12 points and junior guard Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) tied his season high with 11 points.
Thompson had nine rebounds and junior forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) added eight boards to go with nine points.
The Waves committed 10 first-half turnovers and were outrebounded by two in the first half as Arkansas State built its lead. But Pepperdine's halftime adjustments paid off, as the Waves had only three turnovers the rest of the way and outrebounded the Red Wolves 22-10 in the second half.
Free throws were a telling statistic, as the Waves hit 25 of 30 (83.3%) for the contest while the Red Wolves made just 14 of 22 (63.6%). Pepperdine held Arkansas State to 39.6% shooting from the floor, although the Waves were just a tick better at 40.4%.
The best performances at the line were by Darby (7-for-8), Lowery (6-for-7) and Suttle (5-for-6).
There were three ties and three lead changes in the second half (and seven lead changes for the entire game).
The Waves were without junior guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS), the team's leading scorer at 22.0 points per game, for the second straight game. He aggravated a hand injury over the weekend.
Pepperdine returns to Firestone Fieldhouse to host Northern Arizona this Sunday (Nov. 28) at 1 p.m. Fans can watch the game and hear Al Epstein's call of the game for free via Wave Casts at www.pepperdinesports.com.
