Pepperdine pushes past American, 82-69
| • | Fairfield's defense stops Bowling Green |
| • | Taller opponents not big deal for IUPUI |
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
With a wave of athleticism, Pepperdine wiped out American, 82-69, in the late game of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic last night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Even with its top player on the bench with an injury, the Waves overwhelmed the Eagles with a holiday mix of slam dunks, 3-pointers, fade-away jumpers and no-look passes.
"I didn't really know what to expect because we've been off for a while and our leading scorer came up with an injury and couldn't play," Pepperdine head coach Paul Westphal said.
Forward Glen McGowan, who averages 19.3 points per game, sat out with a hip injury.
Still, Pepperdine led virtually from start to finish.
Alex Acker led four Waves in double-figure points with 16. Terrance Johnson added 13, Jesse Pinegar 12 and Chase Griffin 10.
Derick Grubb grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Pepperdine to a 43-27 advantage on the boards.
Overall, Pepperdine shot 60.8 percent from the field, while American shot 34.8 percent. Westphal credited point guard Shaun Davis with leading the defensive effort.
The Waves led 41-24 at halftime, and increased it to as much as 22 in the second half.
"It was an opportunity for other guys, and our bench particularly played well," Westphal said. "They not only held the lead, they built it."
Pepperdine (5-6) will play Fairfield in a semifinal game today at 5:05 p.m.
American (3-7) will play Bowling Green in a consolation game at 1:35 p.m. Andre Ingram made five 3-pointers and led the Eagles with 19 points. Linas Lekavicius added three 3s and 14 points.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
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