Pepperdine Hangs On, Defeats St. Mary’s, 88-78

If Pepperdine interim Coach Marty Wilson learned anything this weekend, it’s that watching his team play with a lead isn’t any easier than having it come from behind.

But he wasn’t complaining Saturday night, not after the Waves staved off a late challenge by St. Mary’s for their second consecutive victory, 88-78, in a West Coast Conference game before 2,011 at McKeon Pavilion.

“They’re getting better, but not easier,” said Wilson, whose team had to rally for a 72-69 victory at Santa Clara on Friday night. “I get more nervous now than when I was an assistant. I start sweating.”

Fortunately for Wilson, now 2-1 as coach, his players kept their cool down the stretch. The Waves, 9-9 overall and 2-4 in the conference, made nine of 10 free throws in the final 1:03 to keep St. Mary’s (9-9, 2-4) at arm’s length.

Guard Gerald Brown led Pepperdine with a game-high 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting, and guard Marques Johnson scored 18. The juniors combined for seven of the Waves’ last-minute free throws and each made three three-point baskets.

Pepperdine, which shot 58.8% in eclipsing its victory total from last season, appeared in control after taking a 58-42 lead on a three-point play by Brown with 12:14 left.

But St. Mary’s chipped away and got as close as 81-76 on a layup by guard David Sivulich with 36 seconds left before the Gaels turned the ball over on their next three possessions.

One of the keys for Pepperdine was limiting Sivulich to eight points and only two three-point baskets. In St. Mary’s 89-79 victory over the Waves in Malibu last week, Sivulich had 28 points and six three-point baskets.