Waves Risk Share of Lead Tonight at USF

Pepperdine, tied for first place with St. Mary’s in the West Coast Athletic Conference basketball race at 10-2, closes out the regular season with road games tonight at the USF and Saturday night at Santa Clara.

The Waves (18-9 overall) are aiming for the top seeding in the conference tournament, which will begin March 4 at USF. Pepperdine could finish anywhere from first to third, depending on the results of its, St. Mary’s and third-place Loyola Marymount’s last two games. The WCAC tournament winner will receive an automatic berth in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. tournament.

If the Gaels (22-3) and the Waves finish in a tie for first, St. Mary’s will be top-seeded, having defeated the Loyola twice, whereas Pepperdine split with the Lions.

USF (14-11 overall, 6-6 in the WCAC) has been inconsistent. The Dons upset Notre Dame and St. Mary’s, ranked 19th nationally by the Associated Press, but split with the University of San Diego, the last-place team in the WCAC. Pepperdine beat USF at Malibu, 71-53.