Sophomore guard Aaron Clark drives to the basket as center Stefan Cicic looks on during the Waves’ matchup against the Lions on Feb. 14 at Firestone Fieldhouse. Clark and Cicic both played key roles in the Waves’ one-point victory. Photo by Clementine Metz.
Pepperdine Men’s Basketball faced off against Loyola Marymount University (LMU) on Feb. 14 at Firestone Fieldhouse. Freshman center Stefan Cicic hit a go-ahead dunk to give his team a 90–89 victory with 8 seconds remaining in a back‑and‑forth West Coast Conference matchup.
Momentum has now shifted and the Waves earned their first win since January against University of Portland, restarting their winning streak.
“I saw the ball come off the rim, and I just went in there and slammed it,” Cicic said.
The game opened at a frantic pace, with LMU taking an early edge through inside scoring and three-point attempts. LMU built their lead by hitting open three-pointers, putting together a strong run midway through the half. Pepperdine fell behind due to turnovers that turned into quick LMU points to go up to 23–20.
Pepperdine countered with redshirt sophomore guard Aaron Clark orchestrating the offense, adding 12 points in the opening minutes, and Cicic providing a strong presence on the court. Despite Pepperdine’s efforts, LMU held the upper hand, ending the half 56–54.
“Going into the second half we just stay locked in on the defensive end,” Clark said. “They kept scoring. It was a high scoring game. So we kind of knew we had to get a stop. So going into the second half, it was all about stops, for sure.”
The Waves started the second half behind, and foul trouble complicated their comeback.
Pepperdine struggled to score efficiently, shooting under 40% in the half, while LMU capitalized on turnovers and drew fouls to maintain the lead. The tension escalated as the Waves battled from behind, needing key defensive stops and smart shot selection to stay within striking distance.
“‘Get it to the guy who has the hot hand,’ Schillings told us,” sophmore guard Styles Phipps said. “AC [Aaron Clark] got it going in the first half, and it led to the second half. So trying to get the ball in his hands was the goal.”
With just under 5 minutes to play, Pepperdine was behind as the Lions continued to execute under pressure.
The Lions extended their advantage, putting LMU up 85–78. It was the largest deficit of the second half for the Waves.
The bench reacted as the Waves called a timeout to regroup.
Timeout called by head coach Edmund Schillings with 14 seconds remaining in the game on Feb. 14 at Firestone Fieldhouse. Photo by Clementine Metz.
“In the timeout we talked about how we need to stay together, get the next stop,” Clark said. “We need one more stop. So that kind of was gonna seal it after we got there.”
Out of the timeout, Clark buried a three‑pointer from the wing — a shot that cut the deficit to 85–81.
On the next possession, LMU attempted a mid‑range jumper that rimmed off. Pepperdine secured the rebound, and Clark drove the lane for a layup on the break, slicing the Lions’ lead to 85–83.
With just one minute left the Lions drew a foul and put up two free throws to put LMU up 89–88, with under two minutes to play.
The Waves called a crucial timeout to set up a final possession. Out of the huddle, Clark drove aggressively but missed the layup. Seizing the opportunity, Cicic came down with the rebound and completed a putback dunk
“I was expecting him to make the layup in the moment, but, like coaches always tell me, just cut the best look for offensive backs,” Cicic said.
This gave Pepperdine the lead 90–89. The crowd erupted as LMU scrambled on the other end, but the Waves’ defense held, and the missed chance by Clark turned into the game-winning highlight, completing a heart-stopping comeback by the Waves.
The Waves celebrate their thrilling 90–89 victory over the Lions on Feb. 14 at Firestone Fieldhouse, capping a heart-stopping comeback in the final seconds. Photo by Clementine Metz.
Pepperdine’s next game is against Portland on Feb.18 at the Chiles Center. The Waves won 86-73 against the pilots earlier this season at home.
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Contact Grace Boktor by email: grace.boktor@pepperdine.edu