Pepperdine Finally Enjoys Saturday Night

For the first time in two seasons, Pepperdine didn’t walk away from a Saturday basketball game disappointed.

Although the Waves squandered several leads, they made enough big plays down the stretch to hold on for a 65-61 victory over Boise State at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu and end a 14-game losing streak on Saturdays.

“Hallelujah,” said a relieved Lorenzo Romar, Pepperdine’s coach. “There was still a curse there somewhere at the end trying to work its way back in.”

Boise State threatened to extend the streak by making seven three-point baskets in the second half, rallying from a nine-point deficit with 2:25 left to pull to within 63-61 on a three-pointer by Mike Hagman with 11 seconds to play.

But the Broncos failed to commit a foul in the backcourt, allowing Bryan Hill to catch a long pass for a game-clinching dunk.

Other streaks came to an end as well. The Waves (6-4) broke a two-game losing streak and ended a five-game winning streak for Boise State (6-2), which plays UCLA on Monday.

Gerald Brown shook off a one-for-five shooting performance in the first half to score nine of Pepperdine’s last 11 points. In succession, he made a three-point basket, a reverse layup and another layup after he stole the ball at midcourt to give the Waves a 61-52 lead.

Hill led the Waves with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Brown had 16 points, four assists and three steals, and Jelani Gardner had 13 points, four assists and three steals.

Pepperdine doesn’t play again until Dec. 30, when it hosts Marist.