HENDERSON, Nevada – The Pepperdine men's basketball team hung with UC Irvine in the first half of play, but was doomed by an Anteaters' run late in the game for a 76-60 final on the opening day of the Ball Dawgs Classic.
The Waves (3-3) will meet Indiana State tomorrow afternoon for a 4 p.m. tip.
BIG WAVES
- Michael Ajayi (Kent, Wash./Pierce College) recorded yet another double-double- his fourth through six games and second-straight- with 16 points and 11 rebounds while adding on three assists.
- Cord Stansberry (Bermuda Dunes, Calif./Shadow Hills HS) contributed a career-high 12 points on 4-of-8 FG shooting.
- Houston Mallette (Alameda, Calif./Pacifica Christian HS) added 10 points, two assists and two steals on the evening.
KEY STATS
- The Waves defense limited UCI to only two players in double-figure scoring.
- Pepperdine was outrebounded 43-29. UC Irvine also scored 48 of their final 76 points in the paint compared to the Waves' 22.
- The Waves had less turnovers than the Anteaters with 11 to UCI's 14.
RECAP
Both squads traded buckets to open the contest as Ajayi sunk six of the Waves' first seven points.
Jalen Pitre made a corner three and freshman
Curtis Williams put two free throws in to give Pepperdine a slim three-point lead midway through, but the Waves struggled from the free-throw line and went into the locker room at half down four.
The second half saw Stansberry score 10 of his 12 points on 4-for-8 field goal shooting, but the Anteaters enjoyed an 11-0 run late in the period that ultimately doomed Pepperdine to a
NEXT UP
Pepperdine will take on Indiana State tomorrow afternoon with a 4 p.m. tip-off in the Dollar Loan Center. The Sycamores smothered Rice 103-88 in their first contest of the week, seeing four players earn double-figure scoring led by big man Robbie Avila who went 10-of-19 inside and pulled down eight boards. Guard Masen Miller went 5-of-7 from beyond the arc- and did not take a single shot inside. ISU forced 18 Rice turnovers, resulting in 19 points collectively.
