MALIBU – The Pepperdine men's basketball team stayed competitive against San Francisco on Thursday night in a bout that saw six lead changes but the Dons ran away with an 80-74 win.
The Waves (9-16, 2-8 WCC) matched USF in rebounds (33 each) and turnovers (nine each) but the Dons controlled the paint to eke out the six-point win.
BIG WAVES
- Jevon Porter (Columbia, Mo./Father Tolton Catholic) led the Waves with 21 points and nine rebounds, tacking on an assist and a steal.
- Houston Mallette (Alameda, Calif./Pacifica Christian HS) shot 5-of-6 from the field, going for 19 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
- Michael Ajayi (Kent, Wash./Pierce College) contributed 12 points and eight rebounds with four assists and a steal.
KEY STATS
- Both squads recorded 33 total rebounds, but San Francisco delivered more on second-chance opportunities scoring 10 to Pepperdine's eight.
- The Waves were again bested in the paint as USF almost doubled Pepperdine's inside output 44-26.
- Pepperdine enjoyed a slight shooting advantage from beyond the arc at 29% to USF's 21% but the Dons took the upper hand in overall free throw percentage at 51% to the Waves' 42%.
- Turnovers also ended equally as both teams caused nine errors apiece.
RECAP
The Dons came out strong, immediately embarking on a 6-0 run but a huge Porter putback dunk and two Anderson free throws got the Waves on the board. Pepperdine would see its own 9-0 run capitalized by a Cooper dunk and a Porter dagger three to put the good guys up seven with 12 minutes left in the first stanza. Both teams traded threes and USF took its second lead of the game off of a dunk by Jonathan Mogbo- whom the Waves only allowed four points in the first half. Stansberry hit a couple of quick threes to keep Pepperdine within striking distance at the half as the score hit 35-33 heading into the locker rooms.
Mallette took no time in the opening minute of the second half as the Waves instituted a swift backdoor option that supplied the junior with a layup and a foul. Pepperdine would flirt with the lead for the next 10 minutes of play and the Waves would go up by as many as seven points in a run that included another Mallette and-one play- this time on a made three point shot where he completed the four-point succession. San Francisco adjusted its offensive directive, however, pounding the ball inside to Mogbo and supplying the Don with the rest of his total 19 points.
Porter hit a three to bring the USF lead back to one midway through the second half, but that was the closest Pepperdine would get to overtaking the Dons the rest of the night. San Francisco's inside game proved too much for the home squad, but the Waves did not quit as they had the chance to tie or take the lead in the final of minute of play, but a Dons inbound play sent Mogbo down the court in a 100-yard dash where USF would stiff-arm Pepperdine 80-74 in the end.
UP NEXT
Pepperdine makes the short trek to LMU on Saturday to take on the Lions in a game set for a 6 p.m. tip.
