DAVID NAKAGAMI
Staff Writer
Upon seeing the 5-11 record of the men’s basketball team, die-hard Waves fans cannot help but ask the question: Why, after an 11-5 start in the past season, is there such a drastic change in performance?
Although the campaign is still relatively young, there are several visible differences between last year’s squad and the current one. The 2004-2005 crew was anchored by the veteran leadership of then-seniors Glen McGowan, Yakhouba Diawara and junior Alex Acker, who is on the roster of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
With the loss of valuable experience, as well as 50 points a night from the departed leaders, this year’s Waves turned to a young starting squad supported by a strong veteran bench to make up the deficit and energize the team.
The new Waves defended home court against the Saint Mary’s College Gaels on Saturday.
The Gaels, entering the game winless against a conference opponent, were hungry from the start. After the Waves made the first field goal of the game, St. Mary’s rolled off seven straight points. Having Pepperdine reeling back on its heels, the Gaels took advantage, jumping to a 38-25 lead by halftime.
The Waves’ fortunes did not change in the second half, with Saint Mary’s extending the lead to as much as 24 points behind a game-high 26 points for Gaels forward Daniel Kickert. The Waves managed to tighten the game but lost 83-61, dropping their conference record to 1-4. Points in the paint seemed to be the telling number in the game, with the Gaels battling inside for 22 points to the Waves’ 14.
According to Head Coach Paul Westphal, poor shooting was to blame for the loss. He stressed, however, that the team played well defensively, especially for a team only recently returning key injured players like Chris Oakes and Russell Hicks back into the lineup.
Pepperdine hoped to correct their offensive woes in the following game against Santa Clara on Monday. Before the game, Westphal pinpointed the containment of Broncos’ leading scorer Travis Niesen, who averages 19 points per game, as a key for a Waves triumph. The Waves harassed Niesen throughout the game, limiting him to a season-low three points on one of five shooting from the floor.
Unfortunately, Pepperdine’s offense was also out-of-sync, shooting only 24.1 percent in the first half for a total of 24 points. It was the Waves defense that kept the score in their favor, suffocating Santa Clara for 17 points going into halftime, tying a low for the season.
Sophomore guard Kingsley Costain proved to be the difference in the game, scoring 16 points (6-8 from the field, 3-4 from distance) off the bench.
“Kingsley made a big contribution to the win,” said fellow backcourt teammate Mike Gerrity. “We knew it was a must-win.”
Costain provided a much-needed offensive spark that put the game out of reach for the Broncos, handing them a devastating 65-45 loss. Not to go unnoticed, senior Tashaan Forehan-Kelly dropped in 21 points and five boards, going a perfect 12 for 12 from the free throw line.
With the win, the Waves ended a three-game losing streak, pushing their overall record to 6-12, 2-4 in the West Coast Conference.
However, Westphal said he believes the wins and losses don’t accurately encapsulate the 2005-2006 campaign.
“Our record isn’t what we want to be,” Westphal said. “But we won’t give up. We have a lot of potential and we want to finish the season in a strong way.”
Gerrity agrees.
“We need to make a push for wins,” he said. “Ultimately, our goal is to keep improving every game.”
Gaining and carrying momentum into the West Coast Conference Tournament is an objective that both Westphal and Gerrity said they hope to achieve.
The Waves can do just that Saturday, when they play host to the visiting Loyola Marymount University Lions at 7:30 pm in Firestone Fieldhouse. This game will also be televised on FSN West 2.
01-26-2006
