SHUHEI MATSUO
Assistant Sports Editor
With a new coaching staff and some newcomers, the Pepperdine men’s basketball team left Aug. 14 to Europe to gain some preseason experience. The Waves played four games in 10 days and posted a record of 2-2.
NCAA rules allow college teams to take foreign trips every four years. They can practice for 10 days before the trip.
Under first-year Head Coach Vance Walberg, Pepperdine fell 105-93 to St. Chamond in Lyon, France, on Aug. 17. Although the Waves rebounded with a 102-69 victory against Monthey, a Swiss professional team in Montreaux, Switzerland, they posted another loss to Friburg Olympic of Switzerland 119-94 on Aug. 19.
In its European Exhibition Tour opener, six Pepperdine players scored in double figures. Sophomore forward Chris Oakes led the team with 18 points and also had six rebounds. Seniors Marvin Lea and Gregg Barlow scored 16 points each, while sophomore guard Michael Gerrity, who will lead the Waves this year, poured in 14 points. Senior guard Chase Griffin and sophomore guard Tomas Pranciliauskas joined other double-figure scorers with 12 points.
During the match against Monthey, senior Chase Griffin led the Waves as he doubled the 12 points he had scored in the previous game. He recorded a team-high 24 points, had six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Freshman Michael Gerrity contributed to the victory with nine assists while Oakes and Lea totaled a team-high seven rebounds apiece.
Despite an impressive performance by Gerrity, who scored a team-high 25 points and had six assists during the game against Friburg Olympic, the Waves fell short of the Swiss professional team.
The Waves will begin their 2006-07 campaign when they welcome Cal Baptist for an exhibition game on Nov. 1 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
08-28-2006
