MALIBU–Last season it was an eye-poking display of porous defense that led to the men’s basketball team being just another statistic in Brigham Young’s now 44-game home winning streak. This season under the new Tom Asbury regime things weren’t much 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 who suffered their second loss in as many games.
BYU junior forward Jonathan Tavernari the recipient of an eye-poking 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 ten rebounds as 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 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
No 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.
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.
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.
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).
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 thirty-one with 3:14 remaining and pushed the students to head for the exits.
Pepperdine has yet to beat a Division I opponent this year as their 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.