Game Preview
On January 18, the Pepperdine Waves (9-10) and Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-5) will square off at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs were ranked 11th in the nation at the beginning of the season and as high as 7th before losing a few games and dropping out of the rankings. Losing to #2 Purdue or #5 UConn is acceptable, but they also suffered defeats at the hands of Washington, San Diego State, and Santa Clara, teams they usually defeat. The most painful loss was the one to Santa Clara because it was a conference matchup and Saint Mary’s had already jumped out to a 4-0 lead in WCC play. Gonzaga was led by big Anton Watson with 32 points in the defeat against Santa Clara. Against Santa Clara, 3 players saw all 40 minutes of action, raising concerns about Gonzaga’s bench strength and depth. Anton Watson is their leading scorer, averaging 14.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. His season high of 32 points was matched in the game versus Santa Clara.
After winning their opening 13 games against Concordia-Irvine, Lafayette, LIU, Idaho State, and UC San Diego, the Waves’ record was just 5-8 overall. However, Pepperdine has won four of their past five games, including victories over William & Mary, Westcliff, Pacific, and San Diego. In the San Diego game, the Waves went into the locker room behind 48–35. But Pepperdine mounted a 48-29 run in the 2nd half to pull off a thrilling 83-77 victory. In addition to Houston Mallette’s 23 points and 5 assists, Michael Ajayi doubled up with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Up until now, the Waves’ defense has held its own, surrendering 71.2 points per game. They are averaging 3.1 blocks and 5.3 steals a game, so they need to do better.
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Gonzaga vs Pepperdine Game Information
- Date: 01/18/2024
- Time: 10:00 PM ET
- Location: Firestone Fieldhouse.
- How to Watch Gonzaga vs Pepperdine: ESPN2
- Live Stream: CBS.com
