This Saturday Is a Good One for Pepperdine

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 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 back court, allowing Bryan Hill to catch a long pass for a game-clinching dunk.

“We had some scary moments out there,” Romar said. “But overall I think our team made some progress.”

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 1-for-5 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.

Boise State, though, answered with two consecutive baskets and pulled to within 62-58 with 24 seconds left when Roberto Bergersen scored on a drive and was fouled. Mike Tolman, whose four three-point baskets in the second half helped keep the Broncos close, rebounded Bergersen’s missed free throw but missed a shot in the lane.

Tolman was called for a foul and Brown made one of two free throws to give Pepperdine a 63-58 lead with 20 seconds left.

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 made 27 of 50 shots, the second consecutive game it broke 50% from the field.

Brown, who scored 35 in the Waves’ 96-83 loss at Kansas on Thursday, had trouble finding his mark in the first half Saturday. The senior guard missed his first two shots, both three-point attempts, and didn’t score until he made two free throws with 5:07 left in the half.

With Brown struggling, Hill took up the slack with his strong inside play. Hill scored 10 points in the first half, helping Pepperdine take a 36-28 lead into the locker room.

Boise State had rallied from a five-point deficit to take a 23-22 lead on Bergersen’s three-point basket, but a layup by Hill started the Waves on a 7-0 run. After the Broncos pulled to within 29-28, Hill’s basket ignited another 7-0 run to close the half.

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