Pepperdine Gets Even With Loyola

Pepperdine, routed by Loyola Marymount Wednesday, set a school scoring record in beating the Lions, 131-123, Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 3,529 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Dexter Howard, who had scored a career-high 35 points Wednesday, scored 32 Saturday to lead the Waves, who improved to 14-11 overall and 8-4 in the West Coast Conference.

Pepperdine’s victory marked the first time that 19th-ranked Loyola, which fell to 20-5 and 11-1, had lost this season to a team outside the nation’s top 20. The Lions’ other losses were to Oklahoma, Louisiana State, Xavier and Nevada Las Vegas.

The loss, combined with the University of San Diego’s victory, also prevented the Lions from clinching the conference championship.

Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said that the difference between Wednesday’s and Saturday’s games was that “we played with a great emotional effort tonight. We also attacked their press a little bit better.”

He said that it also made a difference that his players had dedicated the game to sophomore center Mark Georgeson, who was seriously injured in an automobile accident while going home after Wednesday’s game. The Pepperdine players wore blue shoulder patches in honor of Georgeson.

Loyola Coach Paul Westhead thought the game was won under the baskets.

“Pepperdine did a terrific job on the boards . . . I think that was the major difference.

The Waves outrebounded the Lions, 53-37.

“Pepperdine earned the win,” Westhead said. “This was Dexter Howard week.”

Craig Davis had a career-high 29 points for the Waves. Geoff Lear added 22 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Teammate Shann Ferch had 22 points, making all 12 of his free throws.

Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers each scored 32 points to lead the Lions, and Gathers had 13 rebounds. Jeff Fryer scored 20 points, and Per Stumer had a career-high 20 points for Loyola.

Pepperdine was stymied by Loyola’s full-court press in the first half of Wednesday’s 131-116 loss to the Lions, falling behind by as many as 23 points and trailing at halftime, 67-46.

But the Waves had little trouble with the press Saturday night, particularly in the early going.

Less than five minutes into the game, Pepperdine held a 22-11 lead, spurred by Ferch, who scored seven of his nine first-half points in the first two minutes.

Gathers saw three of his shots blocked in the first half--one by Davis, a guard, and two by reserve center Rex Manu. And Fryer, who scored a season-high 40 points Wednesday, scored only nine points before halftime.

Kimble scored 18 points before intermission, 12 on free throws.

The Waves, leading 24-13, seemed to lose momentum after Howard was called for a technical foul.

Kimble made both free throws to start an 8-2 run, and the Lions pulled to 26-21.

With 4:16 remaining in the half, Pepperdine held a 50-41 lead, but the Lions went on a 10-0 run, which helped cut Pepperdine’s halftime lead to 60-57.

Georgeson suffered a broken pelvis and three broken ribs in an auto accident early Thursday.

Georgeson, a transfer from the University of Arizona, is scheduled to have surgery Monday at Westlake Hospital and Medical Center.