Pepperdine University
2-2,0-0WCC
Sam Houston
2-1,0-0CUSA
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine | 35 | 42 | 77 |
| Sam Houston | 41 | 44 | 85 |
11/11/2026 8:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Pepperdine men's basketball (2-2) fell 85-77 at Sam Houston (2-1) Wednesday night from Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
The Waves staged a second half comeback after trailing by 15 with 16:21 to go, eventually cutting it down to two with just over four minutes to play, but Sam Houston made 18 of its 20 free throws attempts in the final three minutes to seal the game.
Jahari Williamson led the Waves with 21 points off the bench to go with four assists, as Williamson connected on four three-pointers in the second half to lead the way offensively. Evan Haywood matched a career-high with 18 points, also hitting four threes.
Petar Majstorovic added 12 points and four rebounds while Anthony Robinson put up nine points and nine boards for the Waves.
"It was a tough night for the Waves. I'm very proud of our fight and resilience. That is a foundation upon which we can truly build. I look forward to doing so throughout the year," said head coach Griff Aldrich following the game. "However, our group is struggling to understand the value - and primary importance - of making simple winning plays. We made too many execution and mental errors to win on the road. This is a group that is still learning one another and what is required to win. I am confident that our best basketball is ahead of us - but it is painful to learn these early season lessons."
Both teams got out to sluggish starts offensively, combining to begin the game 3-of-17 shooting in the opening 5:30, with the Bearkats beginning the game hitting one of their first 11 shots. The Waves were able to get to the free throw line to put points on the board, led by Anthony Robinson who made 12 of Pepperdine's 19 trips to the line in the opening half.
After a Robinson dunk off a feed from Anto Balian made it a 16-14 game in favor of the Bearkats, Sam Houston embarked on a 7-0 run to get out to a 23-14 lead with 8:01 to go in the half. Pepperdine responded immediately with an extended 18-4 run, fueled by a pair of hits from three-point range by Haywood and a made triple from Alex Constanza.
The Bearkats found their stroke from deep late in the half, making three from downtown in the final 2:18, including a buzzer-beater from 30-plus feet which gave them a 41-35 advantage at the break. Pepperdine was held without a field goal in the final three minutes, but shot it at 10-of-24 (.420) in the half compared to 15-of-38 (.395) from Sam Houston.
Robinson led the Waves with nine points and eight rebounds in the opening stanza, with Haywood adding eight points.
Sam Houston got out to a 15-point lead early in the second half, beginning on a 10-1 run as the Waves called an early timeout to settle in. Williamson got the Waves back on track with consecutive hits from three to bring it back to single digits, as Oliver Kanden also connected from deep which made it 53-45 with 12:32 to go.
The Waves rode the momentum with Williamson hitting another tough look from three, while consecutive buckets from Constanza and Haywood suddenly made it a five-point game with 8:48 still on the clock.
Coming out of a timeout, Sam Houston answered with back-to-back baskets to get it back with a nine-point advantage, but Haywood would hit on a pair of threes from each corner to bring Pepperdine back within one possession at 61-58. The teams traded baskets as Haywood, Williamson and Constanza kept pace with the Bearkats, with the score eventually reading 67-65 in favor of the home side with 3:17 to go,
The free throw parade began for Sam Houston next, as the Waves fouled on a pair of three-point attempts, which allowed the Bearkats to build back up a 10-point lead at 75-65 with under two minutes to play.
Pepperdine continued to apply pressure and extend the game, with Majstorovic logging seven points in the last 1:11, but Sam Houston continued to make its free throws down the stretch to ice the game. The Bearkats finished 34-of-38 from the line for the game, as they came away with an 85-77 victory at home.
Game Notes
- Jahari Williamson scored a season-high 21 points to go with four assists.
- Evan Haywood matched a career-high with 18 points while grabbing four rebounds and collecting two steals.
- Williamson and Haywood each hit four three-pointers in the game.
- Petar Majstorovic logged 12 points, four rebounds and two steals.
- Anthony Robinson had nine points and nine rebounds with four coming on the offensive glass.
- Alex Constanza finished with seven points, four rebounds and two assists while making his lone look from beyond the arc.
- Anto Balian added seven points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals off the bench.
- The Waves had a season–low nine turnovers in the effort.
- Pepperdine's bench accounted for 35 of its 77 points.
- The Waves connected on 10 or more threes for the third straight contest.
- Pepperdine's .400 clip from three-point distance was a season-best.
The Waves will travel to Oregon next, with a matchup against the Ducks set for Sunday at 2 p.m. with coverage on Big Ten Plus.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Pepperdine men's basketball has made 13 NCAA postseason appearances while earning 12 WCC Regular-Season Championships and three WCC Tournament Championships in its history. This success has spanned multiple decades, with the Waves most recently winning the 2021 CBI Tournament. The program has also seen 19 All-Americans along with 19 NBA players, which included a streak of 34 consecutive seasons with at least one alum on an NBA roster from 1976-2011.
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