The Waves were outrebounded in each of their last two regular-season games and had a minus-1.1 rebounding margin per game heading into the WCC tournament.But that is still considerably better than the recent past, when the Lions were outrebounded by an average of 4.4 boards a game last season and by 12.3 rebounds two years ago.
PLAYER ROTATION
Usual starters -- G Keion Bell, G Ron Holmes, F Taylor Darby, C Corbin Moore,F Mychel Thompson.Key subs -- F Jonathan Dupre', G Michael Hornbuckle, G Lorne Jackson, G Dane Suttle Jr.
GAME REVIEW
Gonzaga 92, Pepperdine 58
St. Mary's 62, Pepperdine 49
San Francisco 70, Pepperdine 62
GAME PREVIEW
vs. San Francisco inWCC tournament first round at Las Vegas, Friday, March 6.
IN FOCUS
Pepperdine plays the same team that beat the Lions in the regular-season finale, but the Waves beat San Francisco earlier in the season on the road.The Waves got off to a lousy start in the Feb. 28 loss to the Dons, and starting all the seniors in their final home game might have been part of the reason.The fact that USF is playing better now than it was in their first meeting is another reason. Keion Bell had big games both times, and he needs to do it again. Both teams are young, so the team more poised in the tournament setting will win.
ROSTER REPORT
--Gus Clardy, a walk-on, was named to the WCC all-academic squad. He made his first start in the Feb. 26 game against St. Mary's, primarily because of his strong post defense.
--Freshman Lorne Jackson made good use of his court time in the final two regular-season games. He played just nine minutes in the Feb. 26 game against St. Mary's but had 10 points, and he played 10 minutes two days later against San Francisco but had 11 points. He was 5-for-6 on 3-pointers in the two games.
--Keion Bell was named to the WCC's five-man all-freshman team.
--Blake Wallace, a San Francisco forward who played for Pepperdine when he was a freshman, did not cause his former team much trouble this season, scoring just four points in each game against the Waves.
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