PEPPERDINE AT #19 UCLA
Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Site: Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, California)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Audio: WaveCasts
Series: UCLA leads 20-4
Last Meeting: Bruins 107, Waves 98 (3OT) (11/27/2020 in San Diego)

PEPPERDINE WAVES
2022-23 Record: 4-1
    WCC Record: 0-0
    Away Record: 0-1
Head Coach: Lorenzo Romar
Website: www.PepperdineWaves.com
Twitter: @PeppBasketball

UCLA BRUINS
2022-23 Record: 3-2
    Pac-12 Record: 0-0
    Home Record: 3-0
Head Coach: Mick Cronin
Website: www.UCLABruins.com
Twitter: @UCLAMBB

WAVEPOINTS
• The Pepperdine men's basketball team, off to an impressive start to the season, faces its biggest test in non-conference play when the Waves visit #19 UCLA on Wednesday.
• UCLA connections: Lorenzo Romar was an assistant coach with the Bruins for four seasons, including the 1995 NCAA championship team. Jan Zidek's father George was the starting center on that team.
• The Waves are trying to beat UCLA for the first time since 2001, and defeat an AP Top 25 team for the first time since 2004 (Wisconsin).
• Pepperdine has four wins after five games for the first time since 2016-17, and is looking for its first 5-1 start since 2014-15.
• Freshmen and sophomores have scored 90.4% of the points so far this season.
• Houston Mallette, who was named to the preseason All-WCC team, has made a three-pointer in 31 consecutive games, one shy of the school record of 32 set by Terrance Johnson in 2004. He's coming off a 20-point performance against UC Irvine.
• A strong defensive effort led the Waves to a 64-55 home win over UC Irvine on Saturday. UCI was held to 28.4% shooting, the first time the Waves had held a Division I opponent below 30% since 2015.
• Nationally, the Waves are ranked fifth in effective field goal percentage (61.8%), fifth in three-point percentage (45.8%), 10th in blocks per game (6.6), 14th in field goal percentage (52.7%) and 16th in three-pointers per game (10.8)
• Seven of the 15 non-conference games are against other Southern California schools.
• Lorenzo Romar is in his 26th season as a college head coach. It's his fifth season this time around at Pepperdine, and his eighth overall with the Waves. Romar will be inducted into the SoCal Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2022.

WAVECASTS — Wednesday's game can be listened to online via WaveCasts at PepperdineWaves.com. Veteran play-by-play man Al Epstein, a 2015 Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame inductee who is now in his 38th season, will be behind the microphone. This will be his 1,133rd consecutive men's basketball broadcast for the Waves.

TELEVISION — The UCLA game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks. J.B. Long and Don MacLean are the announcers.

PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 20 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, four times (most recently in 2021-22). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #55 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.