Pepperdine Men’s Basketball completed their season sweep over University of San Diego on Feb. 13, securing an 88-81 victory at Firestone Fieldhouse.
After an early back and forth exchange, junior guard Moe Odum put Pepperdine on the board following a San Diego bucket. The first nine minutes saw tight play, but a 20-4 Waves run, highlighted by redshirt junior guard Zion Bethea‘s hot shooting and redshirt senior forward Boubacar Coulibaly‘s presence inside, gave Pepperdine the edge.
Bethea stayed hot from deep, knocking down all four of his first half three pointers to keep the Waves ahead. Despite a late USD run, Pepperdine entered halftime leading 44-39 according to Pepperdine Athletics.
The Waves opened the second half with a 12-2 run, fueled by three pointers from sophomore guard/forward Dovydas Butka, Odum and freshman forward Danilo Dozic, extending their lead to nearly 20 points within the first 10 minutes. However, foul trouble allowed San Diego to fight back, closing the gap to three points late in the game.
A clutch reverse layup from freshman guard Jaxon Olvera and Bethea’s fifth three pointer gave Pepperdine the cushion needed to close out the win.
Senior forward Stefan Todorovic led all scorers with 24 points, with five rebounds and an assist. Bethea provided a spark off the bench, hitting 5/8 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Butka contributed across the board with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Dozic added 11 points, two rebounds and a steal. Coulibaly anchored the paint with eight points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
The Waves outshot the Toreros 49% to their 44% from the field and dominated from three point range, hitting 55% compared to San Diego’s 22%. Pepperdine also controlled inside the paint, out rebounding USD 47-33, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
With the 88-81 victory, the Waves improve their standing at they prepare to play against Oregon State on Feb. 20 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
_________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Frankie Fernandez via email: frankie.fernandez@pepperdine.edu
