Pepperdine Message: Last Season Is Over : Basketball: Waves defeat Weber State, 99-88, for third consecutive victory, something they didn’t accomplish during dismal ‘94-95 campaign.

Pepperdine forward Bryan Hill says the Waves want to send a message to the rest of college basketball: They aren’t the same team as last season, when Pepperdine slipped to its worst record in 17 years.

“It’s a whole new era,” he said.

Hill had reason to boast Saturday night after scoring 19 of his 25 points in the second half to help Pepperdine defeat Weber State, 99-88, in a nonconference game at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The Waves (4-2), who scored 67 points in the second half after the first half ended in a 32-32 tie, have won three in a row, something they failed to accomplish last season during a forgettable 8-19 campaign.

“This is a big win,” Hill said. “It just boosts our confidence a whole notch. We don’t want to be the Pepperdine of last season. . . . We’re trying to send statements to everybody.”

Weber State (3-3) got the message at the outset of the second half. Pepperdine opened with a 14-2 run to take a 46-34 lead. Guard Marques Johnson made two three-point baskets during the stretch and scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, when he made four three-pointers.

With Johnson hitting from the outside and Hill scoring inside, Pepperdine’s lead grew to 73-51 with nine minutes left. The Waves shot 69.7% (23 of 33) in the second half to finish the game at 58.1%.

After falling behind by 22, Weber State cut its deficit to 75-65 with the help of four consecutive three-point baskets. But Hill, who missed Pepperdine’s previous game against Cal State Northridge because of a bruised left shoulder, countered with a three-point play and the Waves stayed in control down the stretch.

Pepperdine rallied from a nine-point deficit in the first half to tie the score at intermission. The Waves closed the half with a flourish, getting an alley-oop dunk from Wil Weir, a driving scoop shot by Johnson and an outside jumper by Gerald Brown with two seconds left to make it 32-32.

Brown, Pepperdine’s leading scorer entering the game, sprained his right ankle with five minutes left to play and did not return. He said he should be ready for the Waves’ next game Saturday at UC Santa Barbara. He scored 14 points, and was one of six Waves in double figures.

Pepperdine Coach Tony Fuller was encouraged by his team’s strong finish.

“I think we started running and got some easy baskets,” Fuller said. “Marques Johnson started hitting his jumper. We just upped the tempo a little bit.”

With seven of his team’s next eight games on the road, Fuller knows Pepperdine must maintain a high level of play.

“We have a very tough schedule,” he said. “We’ve got some guys who can run. It’s just a matter of going out and doing it.”