Defeat-Weary Waves Nearing Record Depths

Don’t tell first-year Coach Lorenzo Romar, but Pepperdine’s basketball team is closing in on the school’s worst record in 31 years.

With at least five games remaining, the 5-17 Waves are on pace to reach 20 losses for the first time since the 1965-66 season, when Pepperdine finished 2-24, its worst record since the inception of the basketball program in 1938.

The Waves, tied for last place with Loyola Marymount at 3-7 in the West Coast Conference, have lost three games in a row and six of their last seven. Pepperdine plays its final home games Friday against Santa Clara and Saturday against St. Mary’s, before completing the WCC regular season next week at San Diego and San Francisco.

After that, the Waves figure to draw one of the conference leaders in the first round of the WCC tournament March 1 at Loyola.

The situation appears bleak for Pepperdine after blowout losses at St. Mary’s and Santa Clara last weekend, but Romar isn’t waving a white flag.

He remains steadfast in his belief that the Waves, on a good night, are capable of beating any team in the conference, his confidence no doubt emboldened by a 15-point victory over WCC co-leader Gonzaga two weeks ago.

“There is little separation between the teams in the league, and the conference tournament figures to be a real battle,” Romar said. “We had a rough weekend in the Bay area, but I am hopeful that we can regroup and put together two better efforts at home.”

Adam’s ribbing: No doubt that shortstop Adam Kennedy, the All-American with the lively bat and steady glove, is Cal State Northridge’s leader, a fierce competitor who hates to lose.

Or make silly mistakes, like the two baserunning blunders he made in a 5-4 loss to San Diego State on Tuesday.

The first came with one out in the first inning, when he was picked off third base by catcher Jason Phillips.

The second came with one out in the third and Andy Wilson at first.

Kennedy lifted a fly ball that center fielder Stewart Smothers dropped but recovered to force Wilson at second. Wilson, apparently assuming Smothers would catch the ball, was running back to first and Kennedy was returning to the bench when the Aztecs tagged him for the inning-ending double play.

“I was thinking [the ball] was caught,” Kennedy said. “By the time I realized what was going on, there wasn’t much I could do.”

Polling place: Antelope Valley College is ranked No. 2 in the men’s basketball junior college state poll and Ventura remains top-ranked in the women’s poll.

The Marauders (24-4) rank behind Fresno (23-3) and just ahead of Ventura (21-6).