Redshirt sophomore Pavle Stosic goes up to contest a shot from the Portland center Jan. 14 at Firestone Fieldhouse. Pepperdine’s improved interior defense was key in pulling away late in the game. Photos by Oliver Evans
Pepperdine Men’s Basketball earned its first West Coast Conference win of the season with a 67–63 victory over the University of Portland on Jan. 14 at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves overcame a slow start and held strong in the final minutes to snap a six-game losing streak and move to 1–6 in conference play.
The Pilots opened the game attacking the paint and jumping out to an early lead. Sophomore forward Yonatan Levy got the Waves on the board with a pair of free throws, and redshirt sophomore guard Aaron Clark’s layup in transition brought the game even at six a piece.
After starting 0-for-4 from the field, the Waves began to find their rhythm midway through the first half, going 8-14 the rest of the half. Clark and redshirt junior guard David Mager hit key threes to cut into Portland’s lead and Pepperdine’s defensive pressure began to force turnovers.
The Waves entered halftime tied 32-32 after a buzzer-beating three from Portland’s freshman guard Joel Foxwell.
For Clarke, the key was staying focused through both halves.
“We just kept fighting every day,” Clarke said. “We’d come out pretty hard in the first half and then kind of break in the second. So we just focused on putting two halves together and we were able to do that today.”
In the second half, Pepperdine tightened up defensively and started controlling the tempo. Sophomore guard Styles Phipps sparked the offense with quick buckets in transition and active hands on the defensive end.
“We’ve had a handful of close games throughout the season,” Phipps said. “Just finding ways to win, looking back on those games and seeing what we could do better each possession — that’s what helped us fight hard.”
Sophomore guard Styles Phipps beats the Portland center to the basket off a fast break on Jan. 14 at Firestone Fieldhouse. The layup was one of Phipps’ five field goals made in the game.
Men’s Basketball Head Coach Ed Schilling said he was proud of how the team battled through adversity late in the game.
“Guys just made some great hustle plays,” Schilling said. “Styles did a great job at point guard and we just had guys like David Mager come on and make an impact.”
Down the stretch, the Waves’ defense took over, holding Portland to just seven points in the final five minutes of the game. Clarke and Phipps were disrupting passing lanes while sophomore forward Danilo Dozic and Levy’s interior defense and rebounding helped close it out.
“We really worked on keeping it out of the paint with better post defense technique,” Schilling said. “Yon got physical and kept their bigs from backing in as much in the second half.”
Despite a few missed free throws in the closing moments, Pepperdine stayed composed and made enough plays to seal the 67-63 victory.
“It feels good to get one,” Clarke said. “It’s been a tough stretch but we’re learning how to finish games and play together.”
Next, Pepperdine is back on the road to face another tough conference opponent, No. 9 Gonzaga, on Jan. 21 at McCarthy Athletic Center.
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Contact Marcos Lizarraga by email: marcos.lizarraga@pepperdine.edu