WCAC Roundup : Lions Try to Stay With Waves

Pepperdine is expected to win its games up north this weekend. Loyola Marymount has to.

The Waves (22-4 overall, 10-1 in the West Coast Athletic Conference) will be at Santa Clara tonight and at the University of San Francisco Saturday night. Playing the same teams, Loyola (17-8, 9-2) will reverse that procedure.

If Pepperdine and the Lions sweep, Loyola will go into Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse at 8 p.m. Wednesday with a chance to tie the Waves for the WCAC championship. If the Lions defeat the Waves, they will force a playoff game for the conference title and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

But first, the Lions and Waves have to make it through this weekend against USF (7-18, 2-9) and Santa Clara is (10-15, 5-6). Santa Clara gave both Loyola and the Waves all they could handle at home in January, losing to the Lions, 55-54, and to Pepperdine, 64-60. Both local teams had to come from behind to win.

Pepperdine Coach Jim Harrick said the Waves, winners of six straight games and 13 of their last 15, are playing not only for the conference championship, but also for a good seeding in the NCAA tournament. He added that since a 69-64 loss to the University of San Diego Jan. 30, “We have played with much better intensity on both ends of the floor. I’d like to see us play well the last three games and get a good seed.”