MALIBU, California – Colbey Ross exploded for a career-high 36 points, accounting for half of the Pepperdine men's basketball team's output, but the Waves fell 73-72 at home to Pacific in the West Coast Conference regular-season finale on Saturday.
 
The outcome means that the Waves (13-17, 6-10) and Tigers (14-17, 4-12) will meet again on Thursday in the first round of the WCC Championships.
 
BIG WAVES

• Sophomore guard Colbey Ross (Aurora, Colo./Eaglecrest HS) became the program's 42nd player to score 1,000 career points early in his career night. He made nine of 15 shots, including a career-best six three-pointers on nine attempts, and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the foul line. He also had four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Ross scored 21 of his 36 in the second half.
• Sophomore guard Jade' Smith (Oakland, Calif./St. Joseph Notre Dame HS) had 13 points, four rebounds and three steals.
• Freshman forward Kessler Edwards (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Etiwanda HS) had 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

KEY STATS 

• The Tigers outshot the Waves 46.0% to 42.0%.
• Pacific went 12-for-24 (50.0%) on three-pointers while Pepperdine was 10-for-29 (34.5%).
• The Waves went 20-for-21 (95.2%) from the foul line, to 15-for-24 (62.5%) by Pacific.
• Pacific had four players score in double-figures, led by Roberto Gallinat's 17 points.

PLAY BY PLAY
 
A rough start cost the Waves, as they didn't score for the first 6 1/2 minutes, although Pacific could only take an 8-0 lead in that time. Pacific's biggest lead of the game came at 11-2 seven minutes in. The Waves closed within two points at 16-14, and Pacific eventually went into the break with a 32-28 lead.
 
Pepperdine took its first lead of the game at 41-40 with 13 minutes left after a three-point play by Ross and a three-pointer by Edwards. Later, a 9-0 run, capped off by three-pointers by Ross and senior guard Eric Cooper Jr. (Ontario, Calif./St. Anthony HS/Nevada) gave the Waves their biggest lead of the game at 53-47 with 7 1/2 minutes to play.
 
A three-pointer by freshman guard Andre Ball (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills HS) put Pepperdine ahead 61-59 with 4 1/2 minutes left, but that would turn out to be the Waves' final field goal until the last second.
 
At 63-60 with under four minutes to play, the Tigers scored the next six points to go in front 66-63, and kept the Waves scoreless for three minutes.
 
Pepperdine closed the gap to one point twice, at 66-65 after two Ross free throws with 52 seconds left, and again at 68-67 after two Smith free throws with 21 seconds to go.
 
Pacific made two free throws, then the Waves turned the ball over, and the Tigers made another free throw to make it a four-point game at 71-67 with 14 seconds left. After freshman guard Darryl Polk Jr. (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly HS) made two free throws with 11 seconds to go, Pacific went 1-for-2 at the line with nine seconds to play, making it 72-69.
 
The Waves failed to convert on a lay-up attempt, and Pacific iced the game with a single free throw with three seconds left. Polk hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to account for the final margin.
 
NOTABLES 

• Junior forward Kameron Edwards (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Etiwanda HS), the team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder, missed his 15th game of the season. He injured his left foot at the end of the February 9 San Diego game and is out indefinitely.
• Ross passed the legendary Doug Christie for fifth place on the Waves' all-time assist list and now has 397.
• Cooper and fellow senior Darnell Dunn (Kinston, N.C./Kinston HS/Miami Dade JC) were honored pregame before taking part in their final home game.
• Pacific swept the season series from the Waves and the Tigers have now won five straight in the series.

UP NEXT
 
The West Coast Conference Championships begins on Thursday (March 7) at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Waves will be the eighth seed and the Tigers will be the ninth seed.