Pepperdine University
Utah
Utah Outduels Pepperdine Men's Basketball, 67-60
12/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2010
Pepperdine-Utah Box Score 
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- The difference between the Pepperdine and Utah men's basketball teams wasn't much, but the Utes hit a couple of extra shots and converted a few more turnovers into points down the stretch as the Waves fell, 67-60, on Tuesday night in the Huntsman Center.
Pepperdine (3-7) held a 29-26 lead at halftime over the Utes (6-2), but Utah shot 53.6% from the field in the second half and held the Waves without a field goal for more than seven minutes at one point.
"We played okay the first half, but I was disappointed in our poise the second half," Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. "Utah did a really good job. Their bigs caused us problems. They turned up their defense in the second half."
Junior guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) scored a team-high 17 points, but that was eight below his average. Sophomore guard Joshua Lowery (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS) had a strong line, getting 10 points, five assists and three rebounds. Junior forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) pulled down 10 rebounds.
Utah's Will Clyburn had a monster game, accumulating 23 points, 13 rebounds, seven steals and four assists in 37 minutes.
Pepperdine trailed 26-20 late in the first half but went on a 9-0 run over the final four minutes to take the lead at halftime. Junior guard Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) sank a three-pointer and junior guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) had a pair of fast-break lay-ups. On the Waves' final possession of the half, Jackson drove the lane and dished off to Darby for a lay-up in the final seconds.
Bell scored on a drive to the basket to start the second half, pushing the Waves' lead to their largest of the game at 31-26.
A three-pointer by senior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) gave the Waves a 40-37 lead with 16 1/2 minutes to go, but that would be Pepperdine's last field goal for more than seven minutes. The Waves were playing good defense, however, limiting Utah's run to 8-3 during that span. The Utes were only up 45-43 when a lay-up by junior center Corbin Moore (Cypress, Calif./Los Alamitos HS) ended the drought with 9 1/2 minutes to go.
But Utah's Chris Kupets then hit consecutive three-pointers, and the Waves never caught up again. Pepperdine got no closer than five points in the final five minutes.
Pepperdine shot 38.5% from the field, 17.6% on three-pointers and 46.7% from the foul line (compared to 42.4%, 26.1% and 57.9% for the Utes, respectively).
The Waves committed 17 turnovers to the Utes' 12 and Utah had a 20-11 advantage in points off turnovers. Pepperdine did have a 44-37 edge in rebounding. Darby's 10 were the most by a Pepperdine player this season and Thompson and Moore each pulled down eight.
Pepperdine is in a stretch of four games in eight days and next hosts Redlands on Thursday (Dec. 9) at 7 p.m. PT. Fans can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein's broadcast for free via Wave Casts at www.pepperdinesports.com.
