Key Highlights
- 4 in KenPom and pushed its defensive efficiency to second nationally, trailing only Michigan.
- It was a one-sided affair from start to finish, despite some ugly, ugly performances by a few Zags looking to get back on track and some stellar performances from a few now hitting their stride. Pepperdine spent most of the night searching for a workable offense while failing to even theorize about a workable defense.
- The Waves shot 34% from the field (26% from deep), struggled to find space inside, and were outscored 50-18 in the paint despite Graham Ike and Braden Huff combining for just 23 of Gonzaga’s total points. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere were still moments that wandered and stretches that lacked polish, and games this lopsided tend to blur rather than sharpen evaluation, but Gonzaga’s night in Malibu left far more to build on than to pick apart. Defense ShinesPepperdine struggled to create space against Gonzaga throughout the night, with most possessions ending in rushed decisions or heavily contested looks.
- Pepperdine’s Aaron Clark and Styles Phipps combined to go 3-22 on the night while the Waves finished 5-19 from three, a credit once again to the Emmanuel Innocenti / Jalen Warley combo that’s been locking everyone down from the perimeter.
- Similarly, turnovers piled up often enough to flip the floor, with Gonzaga converting 14 of them into 24 points.
