Photo by Marisa Padilla
With first place in the WCC at stake and a full student section cheering them on, the Pepperdine men’s basketball team (4-3) jumped on Gonzaga (5-1) early to secure a 14-12 lead with 11:21 left on the clock. However, the Bulldogs’ experience coupled with their defensive intensity, trumped the Waves at the buzzer, 70-53, on Thursday, Jan. 16.
Prior to this win, Gonzaga was viewed as a potentially vulnerable team coming off of a 82-73 upset loss to Portland a week ago on Jan. 9. That loss snapped the Bulldogs’ 22-game WCC win streak. But tonight they showed why the pre-season coaches rankings posted them at the top spot.
Gonzaga’s center Sam Dower and point guard Kevin Pangos dominated with 18 and 12 points, respectively. Freshman Stacy Davis marked Pepperdine’s team-high with 12 points and seven boards.
Next the Waves have a shot at avenging this loss with a matchup against Portland on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 5 p.m. in Firestone Fieldhouse.
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Follow Alysha Tsuji on Twitter: @alyshatsuji