DAVIS, Calif. – Junior Michael Ajayi delivered a double-double and four Waves scored in double figures but a last-second UC Davis layup doomed the Pepperdine men's basketball team for a final score of 79-78 on Thursday afternoon.
 
Pepperdine led by as many as 19 and held the advantage for over 36 minutes of the contest.
 
BIG WAVES

• Michael Ajayi (Kent, Wash./Pierce College Wash.) poured in 18 points on 53% field goal shooting while adding 14 boards for his first double-double in a Waves uniform.
• Houston Mallette (Alameda, Calif./Pacifica Christian HS) spurred the Waves with 15 points, going 5-of-8 from the field and a spotless 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.
• Malik Moore (Ventura, Calif./Heritage Christian HS) contributed 15 points, two rebounds, three assists and a steal.
• Jalen Pitre (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly) was big inside for Pepperdine, scoring 12 points, pulling down five boards and recording one assist, one block and one steal.

 
KEY STATS

• The Waves' scoring production came largely on the inside, seeing the team shoot 56% on 28-of-50 from the field. Pepperdine only shot three from beyond the arc in the first half. Ajayi recorded 12 of his 18 total points from either the midrange or at the bucket.
• Pepperdine won the rebound battle at 32 to UC Davis's 22.
• The Waves' bench outscored the Aggies' 24-8.

 
RECAP
Ajayi and Ethan Anderson (Carson, Calif./USC/Wyoming) got the Waves going in the opening stanza, giving the good guys the lead within the first two minutes of play. Things slowed a bit until the entrance of Nils Cooper (Los Angeles, Calif./Crossroads HS) and Cord Stansberry (Bermuda Dunes, Calif./Shadow Hills HS) lit the spark defensively, spurring on a 10-0 run- six points of which came from Ajayi in the midrange. Fouls plagued both teams midway through the first half, allowing the Waves to score eight of their last 17 from the line and leading the Aggies 48-31 heading into the locker room.
 
Ajayi opened up the second half much like the previous, but UCD's Ty Johnson delivered 24 of his 28 points and the Aggies slowed down the Waves' output with a press and a zone that shook up Pepperdine offensively. UC Davis chipped away until costly turnovers and fouls gave Johnson an avenue for a bolt to the basket with .6 seconds left in the game to seal it for the Aggies.
 
UP NEXT
The Waves return to Malibu for a couple of back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday, inviting Lafayette College (PA) and LIU Brooklyn to Firestone Fieldhouse.