Men’s basketball has begun this season on a rocket of a start. The Waves snagged their second victory of the season Nov. 15 in a game against Arizona State University. Junior guard Joshua Lowery lead the Waves with 13 points and eight assists as Pepperdine dominated in his hometown of Tempe. The score was settled at 66-60 as the Waves earned their second victory.
The Waves dominated the game from the onset. A flashy layup by Lowery to start the first half gave Pepperdine a 9-8 lead. Sophomore guard Nikolas Skouen and freshman guard Jordan Baker each hit a three pointer that helpd stretch the lead in the Waves’ favor. Though the Waves played fluid basketball, Arizona State managed to chip at the lead, ending the first half 35-29.
The Sun Devils came out of the half hungry and eager to tie the game; however, the talents of junior guard Caleb Willis were too much as Willis hit two free throws and finessed a 30-foot 3 pointer. The Waves would gain their largest lead of the game at 14 points when senior forward Taylor Darby managed to get an “and one.” The score was 56-42 with seven minutes left in the game. ASU, however, responded with their own 10-2 run over the last few minutes of the game. A put-back by Darby helped the Waves regain the fluidity they once had. Key free throws by Lowery late in the game would seal the match in Pepperdine’s favor.
Said Head Coach Marty Wilson, “I’m very happy. Our guys stuck to the game plan, our guys were very disciplined. We’ve been preaching toughness and defense, and we did a great job of it today. I’m very, very proud of our guys.” The Waves held the Sun Devils down into 34 percent shooting from the field as well as a 25.9 percent from beyond the 3-point line. This marks the first win for Pepperdine against ASU since December 1957. The team is in the middle of a five-game road trip. Next up is CSU Bakersfield on Saturday.
