Pepperdine Surges in Second Half

After a slow first half, Pepperdine got on track and went on to a 69-52 victory over St. Mary’s on Saturday before 3,446 at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu.

Pepperdine won its 21st consecutive West Coast Conference game and improved to 12-5 overall, 5-0 in conference play. St. Mary’s is 11-9 and 2-3.

The defenses dominated the first half, which ended with Pepperdine holding a 29-23 lead. But Pepperdine went on a 12-0 run to start the second half, and the Gaels never recovered.

Dana Jones, who scored 14 of his team-high 17 points during the second half, began the run with a five-foot rebound basket. Damin Lopez added two three-point baskets.

St. Mary’s didn’t score for more than six minutes at the beginning of the second half. But Eric Bamberger and Martell Bland made consecutive three-point baskets, and the Gaels closed to 41-29 with 13:29 to play. That was as close as they got, however.

“We were a little tentative against the zone in the first half,” Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. “But give St. Mary’s credit. They changed defenses and really controlled the tempo with their defense.”

St. Mary’s Coach Ernie Kent said that Pepperdine “upped the pressure in the second half and took us out of our game. But mainly it was our lack of execution which lost the game.”

Geoff Lear had 14 points and Doug Christie 13 for Pepperdine.

Lopez, a sophomore who has replaced senior Rick Welch as starting point guard, made three of four three-point shots and had 11 points. Bamberger led St. Mary’s with 17 points.