Point Guard Makes Them Three at a Time : College Basketball: Pepperdine’s Rick Welch goes about his work on the court in his own quiet, dependable way.

Rick Welch, a sophomore reserve point guard on the Pepperdine basketball team, is not the type of person who would stand out at a party.

He doesn’t wear loud clothes, blow noisemakers, cut in on other guys and their dates, or beguile party guests by telling one funny story after another.

To say that Welch is unobtrusive is a little like saying that Winston Churchill was English. About the only thing obvious about Welch is his obscurity.

He is only 6-feet tall, hard to find among his tall-timber teammates. He hasn’t played much at Pepperdine and seldom scores in double figures. He doesn’t gripe to the referee when he is called for a foul. He doesn’t give his coaches any lip.

He hardly does any of the things that get you noticed on a basketball court.

But when Welch does get in a game, he’s like a dependable driver for a pizza parlor. He delivers--and in a timely fashion.

He’s like a plumber you have managed to locate after calling countless others when your drain has backed up on a Sunday night.

Welch comes in and gets the job done.

As a redshirt freshman last year Welch averaged less than 10 minutes of playing time a game. Yet he was Pepperdine’s most accurate shooter from three-point range, having averaged 56.8% (21 of 37).

When mighty North Carolina came to Malibu last year and routed the Waves, all eyes were on the Tarheel players with national reputations: J. R. Reid, Jeff Lebo, Steve Bucknall.

But Reid took his eyes off the ball once, and the Pepperdine guard stole it from the towering All-American, giving Welch what he says was his biggest thrill in college basketball.

In the 1988-89 season, he committed just 20 turnovers in 328 minutes on the court. This year he has not done quite as well, but he still has only 19 turnovers in 294 minutes.

Last year the Waves convincingly defeated highly favored Loyola Marymount, 104-79, in Malibu, and the glory went to Dexter Howard, who scored 27 points and had 12 rebounds, and Tom Lewis, who had 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Welch went unnoticed in that resounding win over the Lions, but he made all four of his shots from the field, including two three-pointers.

In the first round of last year’s West Coast Conference tournament, Welch made both ends of a one-and-one free throw opportunity, sealing his team’s victory with 12 seconds to play.

He has continued to be Johnny-on-the-spot this season, making three-point shots that halt the other team’s momentum or whipping passes to open teammates for important baskets.

Two weeks ago the University of San Francisco had closed to 81-76 after Pepperdine scorers hit a cold spell. Welch nailed a three-pointer, and the Waves went on to a 100-91 victory.

Welch, a Westlake High School graduate who plays behind senior Shann Ferch, said he enjoys making three-point shots that take the heart out of the other team. He said he prefers trying for triples when his feet are set and he doesn’t have a defender in his face. “I don’t look to create shots when someone is on me. But if someone leaves me open, I’m glad to take the shot.”

Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury also is usually glad when Welch attempts a shot because they usually go in the basket. Welch’s shots, whether for two or three points, are mostly from the outside. This year he is shooting nearly 53% from the field (18 of 34) and 47.8% (11 of 23) on three-pointers.

So if Welch is that good, why isn’t he starting? For one reason, Ferch is a senior who has a lot more experience. For another, Ferch is also an excellent three-point shooter (45 of 100), whose streak shooting can stop another team cold.

“Coming off the bench is always frustrating,” said Welch. “I look at Ferch and myself, and he’s a great shooter and scorer.

“I like to shoot the open shot, but I tend to look for open players and run the offense more. You use different players at different times in ball games.

“There are things I do well at times and things that Ferch does well at times. But lately my playing time has gone up.”

Welch hopes his playing time will go all the way up next year, that he will be the team’s starting point guard. But he will get a lot of competition from 5-9 freshman Damin Lopez. Lopez was supposed to back up Ferch this year but was redshirted early in the season after he injured a hand in practice.

Asbury said that Welch “is a solid, heady point guard. He is really the only true point guard we’ve got playing. Shann is more of a No. 2 guard.”

Welch’s future is also at point guard, Asbury said, adding that his “choices (of playing another position, possibly off-guard) are limited by his size. We’ve got an awfully good (point guard in Lopez) waiting in the wings. If Rick can’t hold him off, he’ll back him up.

“Both are going to battle for it starting Oct. 15,” the coach said, adding that Welch may have gotten an edge on Lopez because Lopez hardly played this season.

Then again, he said, neither player may have an advantage. “Players create their own edge. Coaches don’t determine playing time, the players do. Rick may have an advantage because he has played a lot more, but Lopez has an advantage because he beat out Welch. I’d call it a wash, and we start all over again.”

Welch does know the main function of a point guard, Asbury said, and that is getting “the ball to the guys who can score. We’ve got enough guys who can score.”

Lopez will be tough competition for him, said Welch, but the competition will be good for the team no matter who is the starter. It gives the team depth at the position, he said. “When one guy is not performing you can rely on the next guy coming in and doing a good job.”

Being a point guard may be grunt work that doesn’t earn headlines, but that’s all right with Welch.

“I like the leadership role as a point guard. I like trying to get the ball in the right man’s hands at the right time. I try to set a spark, to (provide the team) some intensity on defense.”