The tenth-seed Pepperdine Waves will play the seven-seed Pacific Tigers in the first round of the West Coast Conference Tournament on Thursday at Orleans Arena. Tip-off from Las Vegas is at 8:30 p.m. PT. The Waves are two-point spread favorites and the game total is 160 points.
Pepperdine (9-21 SU, 11-17 ATS) lost to Loyola Marymount on Saturday. The Waves are 1-4 straight-up in their past five and were 2-14 in WCC competition.
Pacific (14-17 SU, 14-15 ATS) beat Portland on Saturday. The Tigers are 2-3 straight-up in their past five and were 7-9 in WCC play.
Pacific defeated Pepperdine twice in the regular season. The Tigers won 80-75 on January 7 and 81-73 on February 2. Pacific leads the all-time series 40-30.
Pepperdine has lost four straight, including sixteen of its last eighteen. Are the Waves dead in the water?
Pepperdine lost by eight at home versus Loyola Marymount in its last game. The Waves outshot the Lions from the field and three-point range but turned the ball over 16 times. Loyola Marymount scored 50 second-half points to earn the win.
?? Play of the Game | @maxwelll2002 shakes off a defender and slams it home ?? pic.twitter.com/RS6DUyLZJw
— Pepperdine Men's Basketball (@PeppBasketball) February 26, 2023
Pepperdine scored 78.2 points per game (39th) and shot 46.4 percent from the field (77th), including 36.6 percent from three-point range (61st). It converted 70.9 percent from the free-throw line (214th) and averaged 33.3 rebounds per game (90th) with a zero rebounding margin. The Waves were 161st in schedule-adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Pepperdine surrendered 81.2 points per game on defense (359th), and its opponents shot 45.7 percent from the field (304th), including 35.5 percent from long distance (291st). The Waves are 192nd in adjusted defensive efficiency.
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