MALIBU, Calif. – Senior
Jan Zidek dropped a season-high 22 points to lead the Pepperdine men's basketball team on Senior Night in Firestone Fieldhouse, but LMU left with the win at a final score of 75-67.
Before the game, Zidek and Majok Deng were recognized for their four years spent in a Waves' uniform.
BIG WAVES
- Senior Jan Zidek (Prague, Czech Republic) pulled down five boards and dished out two assists while going 4-for-4 from the three point line and shooting 81.8% from the field for his 22 points.
- Freshman Jevon Porter (Columbia, Mo./Father Tolton Catholic HS) scored 13 points, pulled down seven rebounds and had two blocks.
- Sophomore Mike Mitchell Jr. (San Jose, Calif./Arch Bishop Mitty HS) had 11 points on 60% three-point shooting, while adding five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Mitchell Jr. scored the first points of the contest on a free-throw line jumper but the Lions jumped out to a quick 14-2 lead to start the game. The Waves chipped back as Zidek got hot from beyond the arc, draining eight points within a two-and-a-half minute span, putting Pepperdine in front at 22-21 with four minutes left in the period. A Malik Moore (Ventura, Calif./Heritage Christian HS) three helped keep the Waves on top and a Mallette turnaround jumper sent Pepperdine into the break with a three-point lead at 28-25.
LMU's Cam Shelton came alive in the second half, scoring 25 of his 32 total points in the period and to stifle the Pepperdine comeback. The Waves fell behind by as many as 15 before Zidek went on a trifecta run of his own. The senior drained a three, drove into the paint for a layup and put in an eight-foot jumper, followed by Mitchell Jr. who sunk another three to bring the good guys within six. The hustle was not enough, however, as the Lions' free throws stiff-armed the Waves in the end with a 75-67 final score.
KEY STATS
- Pepperdine outshot the Lions, going 46%-43% from the field and 48%-43% from beyond the arc.
- The Waves shared the ball more than LMU, dishing out 12 assists to the Lions' nine.
- Due largely to Zidek's team-high 22 points, the Waves dominated the bench points stat line, going for 37 to LMU's four.
UP NEXT
The Waves head to Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2023 UCU WCC Tournament on Thursday night to tip-off against the #7 seed at 8:30 p.m. in the Orleans Arena. Bally Sports Network, BYUtv and the WCC Network will broadcast the first two rounds of games, and veteran play-by-play man Al Epstein will have the call on WaveCasts.
