Pepperdine Falls Short in Exhibition

By providing a spark off the bench, Pepperdine guard Marques Johnson might have shot himself back into the starting lineup Thursday night.

But with the game on the line, he came up empty.

Johnson made 10 of 15 three-point shots and finished with a team-high 32 points, but his two missed free throws with 10 seconds left opened the door for Telecom Club-Portugal to steal a 92-91 exhibition victory at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Forward Wayne Englestad, a former UC Irvine standout, made a leaning, one-handed shot from 14 feet with one second to play, giving Telecom Club-Portugal its only lead of the second half. Bryan Hill’s desperation shot at the buzzer bounced off the rim for Pepperdine, playing its final tune-up before opening the season Nov. 22 at Weber State.

“We didn’t deserve to win,” said Pepperdine Coach Lorenzo Romar, whose team led at halftime, 50-41.