Sophomore forward/center Danilo Dozic jumps for the opening tip-off against the Life Pacific center Nov. 3 at Firestone Fieldhouse. Dozic won the jump ball, giving Pepperdine the first possession of the night. Photos by Ava Walton
Pepperdine Men’s Basketball opened their 2025-26 season with an 88-80 win over Life Pacific University on Nov. 3 at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves overcame an early 10-point deficit to get their first win and move to 1-0 on the young season.
This win was a step in the right direction for the Waves. For Clark, the start of the season is for building chemistry within the team.
“We’ve just been trying to build chemistry with the team,” redshirt sophomore Aaron Clark said. “I let them know that they’re my brothers and we go from there.”
In the opening minutes, the Warriors came out hot, getting off to a quick 16-6 lead, with four straight three-pointers from Life Pacific sophomore guard Josh Hardemann.
However, the Waves were within striking distance thanks to three-pointers off the bench from Clark and redshirt junior guard David Mager, who were instrumental in shifting the game’s momentum.
“Dave and I just came with energy off the bench,” Clark said. “That’s one thing you really got to bring. So I felt like coming in, I wanted to bring that spark, especially after the slow start.”
Clark finished the game with 14 points, four rebounds and four steals, showing off his presence on both sides of the court. Meanwhile, Mager dropped 12 points on 50% shooting from the field, with 10 of his points coming in the first half to take the Waves into the break with a 50-43 lead.
“They were great off the bench,” sophomore guard Styles Phipps said. “It’s great when you have a spark off the bench like that.”
Redshirt junior guard David Mager rises for the dunk against Life Pacific University Nov. 3 at Firestone Fieldhouse. This basket was two of Mager’s 12 points scored throughout the game.
In the second half, Pepperdine controlled much of the game, dominating on the glass 44-26 and generating 30 second-chance points.
Graduate guard/forward Javon Cooley and redshirt sophomore forward Pavle Stosic combined for 20 points and 12 rebounds in the paint. The two forwards gave the Waves a strong interior presence throughout the game.
That interior presence has to be a focal point in the team’s identity, Phipps said.
“Compared to a lot of teams in the conference, we’re an undersized team,” Phipps said. “So we need to really emphasize crashing the glass and helping out our bigs whenever we can.”
In the final minutes, Pepperdine held off runs from Life Pacific and finished the game strong. For the game, the Waves shot 53% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
The Waves worked hard throughout the fall, and for Head Coach Ed Schilling, he said the team is headed in a good direction.
“That’s the first game of the year, and we’re excited about the direction that we can go,” Schilling said.
For Clark, he said it simply felt good to be back on the floor there again.
“It feels good to be able to do what I love,” Clark said.
Next, Pepperdine turns its attention to another early-season matchup, hosting Northern Colorado on Nov. 15 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
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Contact Marcos Lizarraga by email: marcos.lizarraga@pepperdine.edu
