Last season it was an eye-poking display of porous defense that made the men’s basketball team just another statistic in Brigham Young’s now 44-game home winning streak. This season under the new Tom Asbury regime nothing was different.
Freshman guard Keion Bell scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss and sophomore transfer Jonathan Dupre had eight for the Waves.
BYU junior forward Jonathan Tavernari the recipient of an eye-gauging from Jason Walberg last year that made a photo an Internet sensation got the final laugh as he collected a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Cougars (2-0) from Provo Utah finished what they started at home last year blowing out the Waves (1-2) 82-53 in front of an “Orange-Out” of 1642 fans at Firestone Fieldhouse.
None of the Waves scored in double figures as the veteran BYU team executed near perfection on offense and defense throughout the contest showing why they are one of the most feared teams both at home and on the road.
“Our team tries to play just like we are at home Tavernari said. Once Pepperdine’s fight song and the band get going before the game we’ll take any win on the road.”
Coach Asbury’s defensive style of basketball lasted only one half though as the Cougars forced the Waves into 18 turnovers and 36 percent shooting overall.
The first half was somewhat sloppy as both teams shot under 45 percent and had double-digit turnovers with the scoreboard not needed until BYU junior center Chris Miles got the game going with a jumper from the foul line at exactly the 17 minute mark. The BYU big men dominated play as their entire front court scored in double figures.
“The physicality of their big men surprised us said Pepperdine assistant coach Damin Lopez. They pushed us around in the paint and we could not respond.”
After suffering a knee injury last season senior guard Rico Tucker made his debut for the Waves coming off the bench in both halves. Tucker looked hesitant not being close enough to his normal explosive-self going one-for-five from the field in 12 minutes of play.
“Tucker is not showing many ill-effects from his surgery and for not picking up a ball for six or seven months his play was one of the positives to take away from this game Asbury said. I don’t know where his spot on this team is going to be though. He is a pure scoring guard so we can’t run him at the point. But he plays tough and can guard anyone I assign him to.”
The Waves picked up the intensity to start the second half forcing BYU to play an inside game that saw the Waves get to the line and open up the outside. Suttle and Dupre hit back-to-back-to-back three pointers to cut the lead to nine with 13:23 remaining sending the Fieldhouse “Orange-Out” faithful into an all-out frenzy.
But then the Cougars showed why they are one of the best teams out West forcing every Wave into tough jumpers throughout the remainder of the game and hitting some tough ones of their own. The Cougars shot 91 percent from the free throw line in the second half and got to the line two times as much as Pepperdine (28 to 13).
“We certainly communicated better on the court in the second half Tavernari said. It led to us playing great in transition on both offense and defense. We knew coming into the game that the Waves were a great shooting team and in the second half we made them get tough shots off the dribble.”
Despite the run from the Waves and the crowd behind them a 10-1 run from BYU with three minutes to go pushed the lead to 31 with 3:14 remaining and pushed the students to head for the exits.
“Clearly their maturity and depth took over in the second half Lopez said. BYU is a veteran team and it showed when they responded to our run to cut the lead to nine. We traded blows for a while but after that huge run with a couple minutes left they delivered the knockout punch.”
Pepperdine has yet to beat a Division I opponent this year as its only win came against D-II Cal State Monterey Bay in their season opener. For the Waves the road only gets tougher as they travel to the Southwest to take on WAC-powerhouse New Mexico State in Las Cruces and No.-15 Arizona State Sunday in Tempe.
Despite the tough road ahead Asbury looks at “Year One” with the glass half full.
“This tough non-conference schedule is what I have always played when I was here before at Pepperdine Asbury said in his office after the game. The record might not indicate it but playing these tough opponents will prepare this young team for the future.”