SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, California – The Pepperdine men's basketball team closed out the inaugural SoCal Challenge with a 73-64 loss to TCU on Wednesday night.
 
The Horned Frogs (4-1) utilized their advantage in the paint, both in terms of scoring down low and outrebounding the Waves (2-5).
 
BIG WAVES

• Junior forward Jan Zidek (Prague, Czech Republic) led the Waves for the second game in a row with 17 points.
• Freshman guard Houston Mallette (Alameda, Calif./Pacifica Christian HS) had 15 points, making three three-pointers, along with six rebounds.
• Senior guard Jade' Smith (Oakland, Calif./St. Joseph Notre Dame HS) collected 10 points and two steals.
• Freshman guard Mike Mitchell Jr. (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty HS) recorded 10 points, a season-high eight assists and six rebounds.

PLAY BY PLAY
 
The first half saw eight lead changes, though Pepperdine led for nearly 14 1/2 minutes before TCU took over late. The Waves' biggest lead came at 17-11 with 10:40 to play after a 7-0 run featured baskets by Mallette and Smith and a three-pointer by graduate transfer guard Braun Hartfield (Cleveland, Ohio/San Diego). Pepperdine led 25-22 after a lay-up by freshman center Carson Basham (Phoenix, Ariz./AZ Compass Prep) with 4:48 left, but that would be the Waves' final field goal of the half. TCU then went on an 8-0 run to take its biggest lead of the half, five points, at 30-25. The Horned Frogs also led by five at the half at 32-27.
 
TCU grew the lead to 12 points at 51-39 with 12 minutes to go. At 56-46, the Waves went on a 7-0 run, capped off by a Zidek three-point play, to cut the deficit to three at 56-53 with 8:30 to play. But TCU scored a quick six points to push the lead back to nine at 62-53 with 7:20 left. A Zidek three-pointer made it a four-point game at 67-63 with 3:58 left, but Pepperdine would get no closer in the final minutes.
 
KEY STATS 

• TCU outshot Pepperdine 50.0% to 43.6%.
• The Waves made eight three-pointers to the Horned Frogs' three.
• TCU enjoyed a 38-22 rebounding edge, and used 15 offensive rebounds toward a 17-7 advantage in second-chance points.
• Points in the paint favored the Horned Frogs, 40-18.
• TCU was led by Mike Miles' 16 points, while Emanuel Miller had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

NOTABLE 

• Freshman forward Maxwell Lewis (Las Vegas, Nev./AZ Compass Prep) was cleared to play by the NCAA after sitting out the first six games. He made his debut tonight and played eight minutes.
• This was the second-ever meeting between Pepperdine and TCU, and the first in 76 years.

UP NEXT
 
Pepperdine returns home and hosts 2021 NCAA Tournament participant Grand Canyon on Saturday (Nov. 27) at 3 p.m. The game will be streamed online via WaveCasts on the WCC Network. Ticket information and COVID-19 entry policies for Firestone Fieldhouse can be found here.