Pepperdine Comes Out Strong, But Falls to Gonzaga

On February 14 the Pepperdine Waves went in to Spokane to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Bulldogs prevailed 56-48.

Feb 14, 2015; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Kevin Pangos (4) is fouled by Pepperdine Waves guard Jeremy Major (3) during the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

The Waves came out with confidence. It seemed like basket was twice as wide as usual for the Waves. They could not miss and they were playing aggressive defense. At halftime the game was all tied up 30-30. The Waves played good post defense, holding Przemek Karnowski to only four points. Domantas Sabonis had 10 points as the Waves had a tougher time defending him. It was apparent that Pepperdine was trying to key on the Gonzaga post players.

Unfortunately for the Waves, Kevin Pangos had an excellent game. He had a game high 19 points. He helped Gonzaga control the tempo for the second half, which was definitely important. The Zags started the second half on a 16-3 run. This was essential for Gonzaga’s success. Gonzaga also learned from their last game against Pepperdine where they shot a terrible free-throw percentage. In this game the Zags were 10-11 from the line.

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This game showed that on any given night the Zags can have a big game from any player on the team. This game was Kevin Pangos’ chance to step up and he did so in a big way.

The only bright spot for the Waves was Stacy Davis who had 13 points. He had a much better first half, but he kept the Waves in the game most of the time.

In the second half it seemed like the Waves just gave up. They looked tired and they did not have the fire that they showed in the second half. Gonzaga relentlessly pressured the Waves on defense and it wore them down quickly. At the end of the game the Waves were out of gas.

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