The Pepperdine Waves play host to the BYU Cougars on Thursday night from Firestone Fieldhouse in a WCC showdown. BYU comes into this one with a 16-10 record and has put together two wins in a row, both at home. For the Waves, they only have eight wins on the season but were able to grab a win the last time out. These two squared off less than a month ago, with BYU grabbing the ten-point win at home, as they aim for the season sweep on Thursday night. With four wins in a row in the series and nine of the last ten, the Cougars will have plenty of confidence, even despite going on the road for this one.
BYU will have confidence coming into this one, even despite having a season that isn't quite up to par for what they are accustomed to. They've dominated the series between the two over the years and after winning when they faced off just a few weeks ago, they'll be confident in making it a sweep. The Cougars haven't been as strong on the road this season, with a 2-4 record, which might cast some doubt over how this one goes. They haven't played a road game since January 21st and while they do have back-to-back wins, which served to snap a three-game losing streak, making it a third straight win could be a challenge. They only won by ten points in the first meeting this season and there's no doubt that Pepperdine will be eyeing revenge, though all eyes will be on the Cougars and their talented starting five.
The Cougars do have two injuries that they carry into this one, though neither appears to be impactful enough to determine the outcome in this one. Trevin Knell (shoulder) has been ruled out for the season, while Hao Dong (ankle) remains out for at least another week. With only Dong having appeared in a game this season between those two, and only four games at that, neither will be missed much in this one.
BYU vs Pacific highlights?? pic.twitter.com/IVKvVji40p
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 5, 2023
BYU's record is a little surprising, especially considering how balanced they've continued to be on both sides of the ball this season. On the offensive end, they rank 100th in scoring, while putting together one of the best offensive rebounding units in college basketball. On the defensive end, they rank 141st in scoring defense and are top 100 in a number of other categories as well. The first meeting saw them dominate the offensive glass, which should be where they have a massive advantage yet again. The Cougars lack an elite scorer but do have four double-figure scorers. Expect Fousseyni Traore (12.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg) to lead the way, with his frontcourt presence making a massive impact on both ends.
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