Waves Set Records With 129-94 Victory

Pepperdine, tuning up for DePaul, broke a school scoring record Tuesday night, routing U.S. International, 129-94, before 1,888 fans at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu.

“I don’t think (DePaul Coach) Joey Meyer is shaking in his boots over that score,” said Pepperdine Coach Jim Harrick, whose team won its 21st straight home game to tie another school record and improved to 12-2. USIU dropped to 7-6.

Harrick, whose team led at halftime, 66-30, said he was disappointed that his players, mostly substitutes for much of the game, “let them get (64) points in the second half.

“But we had a good opportunity to get a lot of guys playing time. And it may be the last opportunity. The fun’s over.”

The fun was over quickly for USIU, which was last in the game when it trailed, 14-10, when less than five minutes had elapsed.

USIU, averaging 94.5 points a game, was led by Joe Yezbak, who had a game-high 27 points. Yezbak, who averages 26.7 points a game, had only seven points in the first half.

Eric White led Pepperdine with 26 points, 20 in the first half, and played only 24 minutes. Other Waves in double figures were Grant Gondrezick with 23, David Brittain with 20, Anthony Frederick with 13 and Levy Middlebrooks and Jim Harrick Jr., each with 10.

Pepperdine’s 129 points broke the school record of 119, set in 1967 against Southern California College at Pepperdine’s old Los Angeles campus gym, and also surpassed the 118 points scored in Firestone against Hastings of Nebraska in 1980.

The Waves also broke the school record for team assists with 38. The previous high was 35 assists against St. Xavier of Chicago in 1976. Gondrezick led the Waves Tuesday night with nine.

Said Harrick: “We’re ready for (the West Coast Athletic) conference, and we’re ready for DePaul.” The Waves will meet the Blue Demons at 6 p.m. (PST) Thursday night at the Horizon in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont.