Sophomore center Carson Basham (No. 11) loses the tip-off Jan. 19, at Firestone Fieldhouse. Saint Mary’s Head Coach Randy Bennett was a staff member of Pepperdine Head Coach Lorenzo Romar’s team back in Romar’s first stint, according to Pepperdine Athletics. Photos by Sammie Wuensche
Pepperdine Men’s Basketball (7-16) lost their sixth straight WCC conference game to No. 24 Saint Mary’s (16-4) 73-44 on Jan. 19, at Firestone Fieldhouse.
The game started off with a deadlock — as both teams went tooth and nail on defense. The Gaels were able to separate from the Waves with an early 15-8 lead in the first half. The Gaels were able to extend the lead to as much as 18, but the Waves went on a 9-0 run to end the half with a score of 33-24.
In the second half, the Waves had trouble scoring — as they shot 26% from the floor. The Gaels continued their onslaught and increased the lead to as much as 31. Though the Waves forced the Gaels into 14 turnovers in the game, the main difference was the outside shooting. The Gaels shot 37.9% from 3-point range, while the Waves only made three 3-pointers all game. The Gaels won the game 73-44.
Fifth-year guard Logan Johnson led the Gaels, who had 17 points. Johnson, a Mountain View, Calif. native, went to St. Francis High School, the rival school Archbishop Mitty High School, where sophomore guard Mike Mitchell Jr. attended.
While the Gaels had three players in double-digits, the Waves only had one in comparison. The Gaels were able to hold sophomore forward Maxwell Lewis to five points on the night. This was significant considering the fact that Lewis is averaging 18.9 points per game, according to ESPN.
Next up for the Waves is a matchup against San Diego on Jan. 26, at Firestone Fieldhouse.
Sophomore center Carson Basham (No.11) shoots a jumper versus Saint Mary’s on Jan. 19, at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves went to Basham early in the game, and Basham finished with six points.
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Contact Jerry Jiang via Twitter ( @j_jiang30 ) or via email: jerry.jiang@pepperdine.edu
