Oduok, Defense Lead Loyola Past Pepperdine

There was little secret to Loyola Marymount’s 74-64 victory over Pepperdine in a West Coast Conference basketball game Wednesday night.

The Lions did it with defense and a strong effort by center Ime Oduok, two things that were missing in the team’s losses at Gonzaga and Portland last week.

Loyola held Pepperdine to 39% shooting, and Oduok, whose persistent foul trouble had limited his play in recent games, came through with 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots before 1,346 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Oduok had fouled out of both of Loyola’s losses last week, games in which the Lions gave up an average of 89 points.

“Hopefully that was an aberration that we won’t see again,” Loyola Coach John Olive said of his team’s poor defense last week. “Having Ime on the floor helped. When he’s in foul trouble and not on the floor, it’s tough to be productive.”

Oduok was happy to end his drought. He had averaged only eight points in the previous six games.

“It’s been long enough,” Oduok said of ending his dry spell. “I’m beginning to make adjustments.”

Guard Jim Williamson also scored 20 points for Loyola, 16-8 overall and 6-5 in the WCC, which pulled away with a 9-1 run to take a 67-54 lead with 2:02 to play.

Pepperdine (9-14, 2-9), with only eight available players, faded in the second half after the score was tied at halftime. It was the fifth consecutive loss for the Waves and their sixth in a row at Firestone Fieldhouse, the longest home losing streak since the facility opened before the 1973-74 season.

Guard Gerald Brown scored 20 points to lead the Waves.