Pepperdine Makes It Two for the Road, 88-78

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

But he wasn’t complaining Saturday night, not after the Waves staved off a late challenge by St. Mary’s to post 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, 2-4 in the conference) made nine of 10 free throws in the final 1 minute 3 seconds to keep St. Mary’s (9-9, 2-4) at arm’s length.

Guard Gerald Brown scored 31 points for Pepperdine, making 10 of 14 shots, and guard Marques Johnson added 18 points. The juniors combined for seven of the Waves’ last-minute free throws and each made three three-point baskets in the game.

Pepperdine, which made 58.8% of its shots in eclipsing its victory total of 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 at the deficit 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 two three-point baskets.

In St. Mary’s 89-79 victory over the Waves in Malibu last week, Sivulich had 28 points and made six three-pointers.

“Sivulich took our lunch at our place, but our guards did a great job on him tonight,” Wilson said. “I challenged them to play better defense, and they did.”

Pepperdine made 62.5% of its shots in the second half, when the team suffered from foul trouble.

Forward Bryan Hill played only seven minutes and scored only two of his 13 points in the second half. He finished the game with four fouls, as did Brown and reserve forward Eric Griffin.

The Waves again had only eight available players because of injury and illness.

Brown said winning two games in a row after a five-game losing streak will give Pepperdine a “big lift,” but didn’t want to celebrate too much.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “It’s going to help us, but we still have a long way to go.”