Waves Catch Wisconsin Off Guard in 77-66 Upset

Eager to prove it belongs in college basketball’s upper echelon, Pepperdine caught Wisconsin in an ambush Monday night.

The Waves made their first five three-point shots and never looked back in running away with a 77-66 victory before 2,471 at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu.

“It means Pepperdine can compete with top-level basketball teams,” Wave Coach Lorenzo Romar said of his team’s performance. “I’m not saying we can beat everyone, I’m saying we can compete.”

Guards Gerald Brown and Jelani Gardner were the trigger men in the Wave attack, combining for 41 points and seven of Pepperdine’s nine three-point baskets. Brown finished with a game-high 25 points, making five of nine shots from behind the arc.

“It’s a big win,” said Brown, a senior who sat out last season to rehabilitate a surgically repaired right knee. “We came out and got it done.”

In the process, Pepperdine (3-0) gained some respect for the West Coast Conference. It was only the second time in 18 games this decade that a WCC team has defeated a Big Ten opponent. It was the Waves’ first win over a Big Ten team since they defeated Indiana to open the 1978-79 season.

Wisconsin (1-2), coming off a victory over No. 24 Illinois State, was never in the contest, falling behind by 16 points by halftime and by as many as 24 in the second half. The Badgers shot 40%, compared to 58.7% for Pepperdine.

“I tried to tell our players that the game meant a lot to Pepperdine,” Wisconsin Coach Dick Bennett said. “We didn’t match their intensity level out of the blocks.”

Pepperdine had the Badgers on their heels from the outset, hitting five three-point baskets in the first eight minutes to take a 17-7 lead. Gardner, who finished with 16 points, and Brown each made two three-pointers during the stretch.

“It was open and I just started letting it go,” said Brown, who led the WCC in scoring two seasons ago. “It felt great. I’m happy to be back.”

The Waves continued to answer with a big basket every time Wisconsin, led by Sean Mason’s 21 points, drew close.