An exhibition to some the first regular season game under Tom Asbury to others.
Either way you looked at it the men’s basketball team needed the experience of their veterans and Asbury to help overcome a second half surge from Cal State Monterey Bay winning their first game of the season 91-82 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
Sophomore swingman Mychel Thompson scored a career-high 25 points and senior point guard Ryan Holmes posted a career-high of 22 as well. Both players the only from last year’s squad in the starting lineup hit several key baskets and free throws down the stretch to secure the victory for Pepperdine (1-0).
“Me and [Thompson] are the older people on the team and need to show our younger players how to win said Holmes.
I try and be the facilitator for these guys and bring poise when things get tough like they did in the second half.”
The game was considered the opening regular season game for the Waves but not for the Monterey Bay Otters as it was their final exhibition game for the Division II squad. NCAA rules allow interdivisional regular season games.
The Waves started out strong with what looks to be there starting lineup for the regular season against the undersized Otters with a 12-2 run for the first 3:50 of the game.
The outside shooting of the Waves’ guards proved to be the key in the first half as the guard and forward-heavy Pepperdine team used the inside-outside effectively against the Otters.
The Waves shot the lights out from behind the newly painted three-point line (moved back a foot for men’s basketball) in the first half. Holmes had 12 points in 13 first half minutes and was a perfect 2-for-2 from three as the Waves shot 55 percent from three and 47 percent overall.
Monterey Bay also committed 13 turnovers in the first half giving the Waves ample opportunities on the offensive end. But Otters’ senior guard Steve Monreal had a little shooting left in his system.
Monterey threatened early on in the second half with an opening tip to alley-oop plus-one to start the frame. The Otters cut the lead to nine with 15:18 remaining after Monreal scored four quick buckets in less than 45 seconds with Ron Houston adding another to cut the lead to seven 50-43 with 14:27 remaining.
Monreal teamed up with forward Dante Green to nine second half three-pointers and make the game a close interesting contest.
Behind Green and Monreal the Otters used a barrage of threes to pull ahead 62-61 with 7:30 reaming. A quick screen play to Thompson pulled the Waves ahead but again Monreal had the answers at the other end hitting his seventh three-pointer in the half (21 points in the half overall) to pull ahead 65-63.
“[Monreal] was hitting amazing tough shots said Thompson.
He was just simply lights out that second half. We (as a team) had to keep attacking and stick to our game plan.”
The Waves then used a stifling half-court press to get three easy buckets including a dunk from Thompson to go ahead 71-67 with 5:30 remaining.
The Otters quickly called a timeout but freshman guard Keion Bell who scored 14 points in his collegiate debut picked up a technical foul arguing against one of the Otters. Monterey capitalized by hitting both free throws and tying the game at 71 apiece.
After the technical the Waves came out the team they looked like in the first half. They attacked open lanes and dished to the open man resulting in Holmes hitting two from the charity stripe and Thompson hitting a quick two and a three-pointer to pull ahead 78-73 with 3:30 remaining.
Tensions mounted again after Otter senior forward Joe Mitchell was called for a delay-of-game technical after he put-back a missed three-pointer from Monreal. Thompson hit both free throws to put the Waves ahead 80-73 then came right back and attacked the open left baseline for an easy finger-roll layup to put the Waves ahead by nine with two minutes to go.
Thompson scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half and the Waves were 7-for-8 from the free throw during a 15-2 run that saw them pull away in the winding minutes of the game.
“We are a good young team said Holmes, who hit 10 of his 13 from the charity stripe. We are all playing well defensively and taking great shots.”
It will be hard not for the Waves not to look forward from their big test against Brigham Young Tuesday (Nov. 18) night but Thompson sees Sunday’s (Nov. 16) game against Arkansas-Little Rock as another opportunity for experience.
“Asbury has been a great coach for this young team said Thompson. We just need to work on playing with each other and we’ll get better with every game.”