Pepperdine Walks the Line, Turns Back Loyola Rally, 91-79

Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury is grateful for the new rule which gives a team two free throws, instead of a one-and-one opportunity, after an opponent has committed 10 fouls in a half.

The Waves made 11 of 16 free throws down the stretch and held off Loyola Marymount, 91-79, before 2,921 at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu.

Loyola, 6-11 overall and 0-3 in the West Coast Conference, lost its third consecutive game.

“We camped on that thing (the free-throw line),” Asbury said, “and we needed them all (the free throws).”

The Waves (8-8, 2-1) didn’t look needy about midway through the second half.

After a close first half, Pepperdine led, 33-31.

But Doug Christie scored 12 of his 19 points in the first eight minutes of the second half and the Waves built their lead to as many as 17 points.

But Loyola increased its full-court defensive pressure, and Pepperdine seemed ready to crack.

The Waves were ahead, 67-52, with 9:52 left, but the Lions forced a series of turnovers and went on a run to pull to within 71-68.

Pepperdine led, 78-74, with less than three minutes remaining, but the Lions started fouling and hoping the Waves would miss their free throws. But Pepperdine, which missed 22 of 56 free throws in the game, made enough of them to hold on.

Asbury said, “We’re a great free-throw shooting team; it’s just that our great free-throw shooters never get to the line.”

Loyola forward Richard Petruska fouled out of the game with two minutes left, and Rex Manu made two free throws to give the Waves an 83-76 advantage that seemed to discourage the Lions.

Loyola Coach Jay Hillock said that the play on which Petruska fouled out was “a killer,” and that a couple of Lion turnovers in the last two minutes also hindered the comeback.

The Lions’ 31 first-half points were the fewest they have scored in any half this season. The previous low was 36 in the second half against Santa Clara.

Pepperdine made 51.7% of its shots in the first half, Loyola made only 38.2%.

Terrell Lowery, sixth in the nation in scoring with an average of 29 points, was held to seven points in the first half. He finished with 19 points and Petruska added 18.

Pepperdine led most of the first half, but never by more than eight points. The lead changed hands twice, and there were four ties.

Geoff Lear, who finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Derek Noether each scored 10 in the first half for Pepperdine.