DAVID NAKAGAMI
Sports Assistant
After escaping a January in which they won only two games, the Waves are looking to make a change this month. However, Pepperdine started February on the wrong foot, losing at home to Gonzaga by 25 points and Portland by 11.
Pepperdine entered the Saturday afternoon contest against Gonzaga looking to rebound from their loss against Santa Clara. The Waves got out of the blocks quickly, scoring the first four points before the Bulldogs took the lead with 15:43 to play in the first half. Gonzaga forward Josh Heytvelt was on fire, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds, contributing to the Bulldogs’ 13-0 streak before letting the Waves creep within four points at the end of the half, the score 36-32.
The second 20 minutes of play proved too much for the orange and blue. Gonzaga broke open the game behind senior floor general Derek Raivio’s 14 points, and extended their lead to 31 points. At the final buzzer, the scoreboard read 82-57 in favor of Gonzaga.
Heytvelt poured in 27 points on 9-12 shooting from the field, 2-3 from distance. In addition, the sophomore blocked six shots and pulled down 22 boards, two more than Pepperdine grabbed as a team. Raivio, the third-best free throw shooter in the nation, shot 6-9 for the game including 3-5 from behind the arc and a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe, finishing with 21 points.
The Waves could not utilize senior Chase Griffin’s spectacular 18-point first half performance to their advantage.
“We just weren’t making shots,” said junior reserve Kingsley Costain. “You can’t beat any team if you don’t make shots.”
Costain, who tallied 14 points, and the Waves shot a combined 19-65 from the field for the game, coming out to 29.2 percent. It was certainly an off-day for Pepperdine, as they shot 23.1 percent (9-39) from 3-point range and 55.6 percent (10-18) from the free throw line.
In a battle for sole possession of the conference’s worst record, the Waves looked to redeem themselves on Monday against Portland.
The game was a see-saw scuffle in the first half, with the lead changing hands nine times before the halftime score read 36-30 in favor of the visiting Pilots. Griffin put out another strong first half, contributing 10 points in 14 minutes of play.
The second half was held in firm control by Portland, who never relinquished the lead and at a point pushed it to 22 points. The Pilots could not miss a shot in the second 20-minute period, shooting more than 70 percent from the field and behind the arc. With such lights out shooting, the Pilots effectively shut the door on any late Waves rally.
The lone bright spot in the defeat was Jarrad Henry’s record-setting night. Henry, the WCC’s leader in blocks at 2.6 bpg, had eight swats in the first half on his way to 11 blocks in 25 minutes of play. The junior center is tied for 11th in the nation in total blocks, with 64 shots rejected.
“That was crazy,” said teammate Costain of Henry’s feat. “That’s the Jarrad we know.”
Personal accomplishments aside, the Waves find themselves on a three-game losing streak. With a 6-19 overall record and a conference-worst 2-7 mark, losing has been the hardest part of the season. According to Costain, a main reason for their disappointment is a “combination of not executing and not making plays.”
One aspect of the game that cannot be blamed is effort and energy.
“My motivation is my passion and love for the game, and the passion of the coaches. They always bring intensity into practice,” stated Costain. “I don’t feel cheated. The intensity keeps me motivated.”
The Waves will bring their intensity on a two-game road trip to San Diego and San Francisco. Pepperdine plays the Dons of San Francisco on Saturday before facing off against San Diego on Monday.
02-08-2007
