Pepperdine Extends Win Streak to 12

Pepperdine shares the nation’s longest winning streak in Division I after defeating St. Mary’s, 68-57, in a West Coast Conference game Saturday before 2,916 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Pepperdine (17-6, 10-0 in the WCC) and Western Kentucky have each won 12 in a row. Xavier had a winning streak ended at 12 games Saturday in an 80-79 loss to St. Bonaventure, coached by Jan van Breda Kolff, who resigned as Pepperdine’s coach after last season.

Paul Westphal, in his first year as coach of the Waves, is happy to acknowledge the streak.

“You have to keep it up, but at the same time we’re getting some national attention,” Westphal said. “They’re talking about us being somebody who is going to be in the NCAA tournament. When you win 12 in a row and beat the teams we’ve beaten, you should get that talk.”

Forward Boomer Brazzle led Pepperdine with 21 points and eight rebounds, but it was guard Gary Colbert who came off the bench and sparked the Waves against St. Mary’s (7-16, 2-8), which ended a 22-game WCC losing streak against San Diego last week and defeated Loyola Marymount on Friday.

Colbert scored eight of his 10 points during a nine-minute run in the first half as Pepperdine turned a 13-7 deficit into a 28-19 lead.

Pepperdine extended a 31-23 halftime lead to as many as 15 points in the second half. St. Mary’s twice cut the deficit to seven, the last time with 5:37 to play on two free throws by Anthony Woodards.

Gary Klein

*

San Francisco 80, Loyola Marymount 67--The Lions suffered their seventh consecutive loss in a one-sided WCC game at Gersten Pavilion.

Loyola (9-15, 2-8) trailed, 74-47, with six minutes to play before going on a 17-2 run to cut its deficit to 76-64 with 2:17 remaining. Andy Osborn led the Lions with 17 points.

San Francisco (12-11, 7-3) lost starting point guard LyRyan Russell late in the first half with what was believed to be a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

John Ortega