Saturday Hoops

[billiam2005]

3-1 Last Night


Today....

Wisconsin GB +4.5
Florida -3.5
Missouri +1
Appalacian St. +3.5
Notre Dame -5.5
Siena -11
Gonzaga -1.5
San Francisco +6.5


Good luck today

 

[billiam2005]

Adding a few totals...

over 144.5 Fordham/Dayton
under 159.5 E Michigan/C Michigan

 

[billiam2005]

Florida @ Auburn


Florida may not be in first place in the Southeastern Conference, but the Gators are enjoying one of the best seasons in the program's history.

The fourth-ranked Gators (23-4, 11-2 SEC) can cement this campaign as their best ever by establishing a record for victories in a regular season when they take on Auburn (18-8, 7-6) Saturday at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.

Florida surpassed last season's win total and equaled the school mark for victories in a regular season with Tuesday's 96-63 rout of South Carolina.

The Gators also won 23 games during the 1993-94 and '99-00 seasons, reaching the Final Four both times.

Despite its quest for history, Florida trails second-ranked Kentucky by two games for the top spot in the league's East Division.

However, the Gators are coming off their best performance of the season.

Florida scored 61 points in the second half against the Gamecocks, the Gators' second-most ever against a league foe, and the margin of victory was its largest in a league game under coach Billy Donovan.

"If we don't build on this, it would be a shame," Donovan said. "I thought that from an offensive, defensive, team effort it was the best performance we've had all year.

"I told my guys in the locker room that this was the way that I envisioned our basketball team playing. It was one of those nights where we were really clicking on all cylinders."

Forwards Matt Bonner scored 18 points, and David Lee had 17 to pace a balanced attack. Guard Anthony Roberson scored 10 points and reserves Bonell Colas and Christian Drejer combined for 21 points.

"We're getting there, but we still have a lot of things we need to correct," said guard Justin Hamilton, who scored 12 points. "I think (this) was a step in the right direction. We just need to continue to improve and keep our focus on defense and rebounding because our offense will take care of itself provided guys make the extra pass."

While Florida is reaching its peak, Auburn continues its free fall.

After starting conference play with four consecutive wins, the Tigers have dropped three of four, including Wednesday's 94-63 loss to Louisiana State.

Troy Gaines played only nine minutes but led Auburn with 18 points, Marco Killingsworth scored 15 and Marquis Daniels added 11, all in the first half.

Daniels, a conference player-of-the-year candidate, is averaging 18.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Killingsworth is averaging 14.3 points to accompany his team-leading 6.6 rebounds.

Auburn leads the all-time series 86-61.

 

[billiam2005]

Notre Dame at Rutgers


Notre Dame is stumbling down the stretch.

The ninth-ranked Fighting Irish, who are trying to win the Big East's West Division for the second time in three years, hope to recapture their winning form as they visit conference rival Rutgers on Saturday.

Having split their last six games, the Irish (21-6, 9-4) find themselves one-half game behind both No. 15 Syracuse and eight-ranked Pittsburgh in the West with three games to play.

Notre Dame hosts Syracuse on Tuesday, but will not get another shot at Pittsburgh after splitting the season series with the Panthers.

"You obviously need some help to win it," Irish coach Mike Brey said of the division race.

Despite Notre Dame's No. 5 ranking in the Ratings Percentage Index and solid 7-5 road record, Brey remains concerned about what the NCAA tournament selection committee will do with the Irish if they continue to struggle.

"When they close those doors I'm not really sure what they do. That's what makes me nervous," he said.

The Irish looked tired during Monday's 87-79 home loss to Connecticut, their first loss at the Joyce Center this season.

"I think that stretch caught up to us," Brey said after his team's fourth game in nine days. "I think we have enough time here to regroup and get on the road. I always liked our habit of bouncing back."

A loss at last-place Rutgers (11-14, 3-10) could all but end Notre Dame's hopes for a division title, and its chance for a bye in the first round of the Big East tournament.

"Let's see if we can bounce back against Rutgers. We've done that all year," Brey said. "That's the first step, and we'll see where we are Sunday night."

After winning consecutive games against Boston College and Georgetown, Rutgers has lost four in a row.

The Scarlet Knights, who posted a 65-62 home win over the Irish on Feb. 14, 2002, are led by senior guard Jerome Coleman. Coleman is averaging 16.0 points game and junior forward Herve Lamizana, who is averaging 15.0 points in his last three contests, is averaging 3.1 blocks per game, ranking third in the Big East and eighth in the nation.

 

[billiam2005]

Missouri (17-7) at Kansas State (12-14)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 1st, 1:45 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Bramlage Coliseum (13,500) -- Manhattan, Kansas.
Television: ESPN Plus. Home Record: Missouri 14-0, Kansas St. 10-4. Away
Record: Missouri 2-6, Kansas St. 1-8. Neutral Record: Missouri 1-1, Kansas St.
1-2. Conference Record: Missouri 8-5, Kansas St. 3-10. Series Record: Missouri
leads, 109-107.

GAME NOTES: Fresh off an upset of third-ranked Oklahoma on Wednesday, the
Missouri Tigers race into Manhattan to take on the lowly Kansas State Wildcats
in a Big 12 tilt. Missouri had lost nine straight games against Oklahoma
heading into the big matchup earlier this week, and the 67-52 romp over the
Sooners marked the third win for the Tigers in their last four outings. They
are 8-5 in the Big 12, good for fifth place in what is considered by many
coaches and analysts to be the toughest conference in the nation. While
Missouri is a perfect 14-0 at home this season, it has managed victories in
only two of its eight road contests. As for Kansas State, losses in four
straight games and eight of its last nine has dropped it to a dismal 3-10 in
Big 12 play, just one game better than last-place Nebraska. All four defeats
during the current skid have been fairly close, including Tuesday's 68-61
setback against the Cornhuskers. While the Wildcats are an impressive 10-4 at
home, three of their last four tilts at Bramlage Coliseum have resulted in
defeat. Missouri knocked off Kansas State by a score of 71-63 earlier this
season and now holds a slim 109-107 edge in the all-time series between the
two teams.

It is difficult to imagine Missouri playing any better at the defensive end
than it did in the victory over Oklahoma, as it held the Sooners to a season-
low 27.3 percent shooting from the floor. The Tigers, who made good on 43.6
percent of their field goal attempts, were 7-of-15 from behind the arc. They
also posted 14 assists in the tilt against only five turnovers, and a 12-of-14
effort from the foul line proved critical as well. Arthur Johnson came through
with 20 points and 11 rebounds for Missouri in the win, and Ricky Clemons
showed a great deal of toughness by scoring 13 points despite playing with a
broken hand. Travon Bryant and Rickey Paulding posted 14 points apiece for the
Tigers. Overall this season, Paulding has a narrow lead in the team's scoring
column with 16.6 ppg. Johnson is close behind with 16.5 ppg and he is pulling
down 9.6 ppg as well. Clemons is a proven offensive performer as well, as he
is contributing 15.9 ppg and 4.4 apg.

Kansas State scored 24 points from the foul line and held a 43-40 rebounding
edge over Nebraska earlier this week, but those strong efforts were not enough
to lead to victory. The Wildcats were never able to settle into an offensive
rhythm, as 36 percent shooting from the floor, including 1-of-11 from three-
point range, crushed their hopes of victory. The only player to reach double
figures in the scoring column for K-State was Pervis Pasco, who tallied 16
points on the strength of 7-of-12 shooting from the field. There has been no
clear number one option at the offensive end for the Wildcats this season, but
there are a few players who have proven to be capable of scoring points.
Gilson DeJesus (11 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Matt Siebrandt (10.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Pasco
(10.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Tim Ellis (10 ppg) form a pretty balanced attack.

Considering how well the Tigers played on Wednesday against an outstanding
opponent, there is no reason to expect anything other than a convincing
victory today. Kansas State simply does not have the level of talent
necessary to knock off Missouri regardless of the game's location.

 

[billiam2005]

Wisconsin-Green Bay (10-18) at Wright State (9-17)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 1st, 1:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Ervin J. Nutter Center (11,000) -- Dayton, Ohio.
Television: None. Home Record: UW-Green Bay 9-5, Wright St. 8-5. Away Record:
UW-Green Bay 0-12, Wright St. 0-11. Neutral Record: UW-Green Bay 1-1, Wright
St. 1-1. Conference Record: UW-Green Bay 4-11, Wright St. 3-12. Series Record:
Wisconsin-Green Bay leads, 15-10.

GAME NOTES: A pair of teams hovering around the Horizon League basement meet
this afternoon in Dayton as the Wright State Raiders play host to the
Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix. UW-Green Bay enters this contest in search of its
first road win of the season after 12 unsuccessful attempts. The Phoenix had
posted back-to-back victories before heading into Thursday's matchup at
Butler, but that tilt resulted in an ugly 58-37 defeat. That offensive showing
was the worst of the season by far for UWGB, as the squad's previous low was
52 points against the Wisconsin Badgers way back in November. Wright State is
winless on the road as well, but the squad enters today's clash with an 8-5
record at the Nutter Center. With losses in three straight games and six of
its last seven overall, the team has fallen into a last-place Horizon League
tie with Cleveland State. The Phoenix were embarrassed on their home floor
Thursday in a 98-65 loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee. UW-Green Bay recorded a 69-67
victory over Wright State earlier this season to increase its lead to 15-10 in
the all-time series between the two teams.

Wisconin-Green Bay trailed Butler by only four points at intermission on
Thursday, but a total lack of offensive punch led to the 21-point defeat. The
Phoenix shot a lowly 31.4 percent from the floor on the night, including a 1-
of-10 effort from three-point range. They managed to get to the foul line just
six times in 40 minutes of action and finished with six assists. Even
rebounding proved to be a problem, as UWGB suffered a 34-27 disadvantage on
the boards. The only player to reach double figures in the loss was Terry
Parker, who made good on 6-of-16 field goal attempts en route to 12 points.
Greg Babcock was held to only three points, Matt Rohde managed two points, and
Aaron Jessup did not contribute a single point in 21 minutes of play. Overall
this season, Rohde is averaging a team-high 13 ppg on 41 percent shooting from
behind the arc. Mike King adds 11.1 ppg to the lineup, and Babcock is
contributing 10.8 ppg and a team-high 8.2 rpg.

Wright State suffered a crippling 48-23 rebounding disadvantage in its
lopsided loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, including a 15-6 deficit on the
offensive glass. The Raiders also shot a lowly 38.2 percent from the floor in
the tilt and allowed the Panthers to make good on 53.8 percent of their field
goal attempts. UWM outscored Wright State 42-20 in the paint and 22-5 on
second-chance opportunities. Vernard Hollins was able to rack up 25 points in
defeat for the Raiders on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 from the
foul line. Seth Doliboa pitched in 16 points despite a 5-of-15 effort from the
floor. Through 26 games, Doliboa is averaging 22.4 ppg and 7.6 rpg to pace the
squad, and Hollins adds 19.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 4.1 apg to the
lineup. Unfortunately for those two standouts, they have not gotten much help
from their teammates.

The Phoenix barely squeaked by in the first meeting between these two teams,
and another narrow victory is likely today. Wright State has completely fallen
apart, and there is no reason to expect a turnaround.

 

[billiam2005]

Appalachian State (18-8) at East Tennessee State (16-10)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 1st, 4:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Memorial Center (13,000) -- Johnson City, Tennessee.
Television: None. Home Record: Appalachian St. 12-2, E. Tennessee St. 10-2.
Away Record: Appalachian St. 6-6, E. Tennessee St. 5-8. Neutral Record:
Appalachian St. 0-0, E. Tennessee St. 1-0. Conference Record: Appalachian St.
11-4, E. Tennessee St. 10-5. Series Record: East Tennessee State leads, 70-44.

GAME NOTES: The Appalachian State Mountaineers attempt to hold on to first
place in the Southern Conference's North Division as they invade Johnson City
to battle the East Tennessee Buccaneers today. Appalachian State has been
painfully inconsistent in recent weeks, as it has rotated wins and losses
in its last seven contests. Monday's tilt against UNC-Greensboro ended on a
positive note, however, as the Mountaineers were able to escape with a narrow
71-68 victory over their last-place opponent. While they have compiled an
outstanding 12-2 mark at home, they are a mediocre 6-6 on the road. As for
ETSU, it has won 10 of its 12 games at the Memorial Center this season and
owns a 10-5 SoCon record, good for a second-place tie with Davidson. The Bucs
carried a four-game winning steak into their matchup with Furman on Monday,
but poor defensive play led to an 84-71 defeat in that tilt. Appalachian State
emerged with a 108-94 victory in a shootout with ETSU earlier this season, but
the Bucs still hold a 70-44 series lead all-time over the Mountaineers.

Appalachian State was expected to handle UNC-Greensboro rather easily on
Monday, but the game went down to the wire. The Mountaineers shot only 39.3
percent from the floor in the tilt and were outrebounded by a 44-32 margin,
including 18-13 on the offensive glass. If not for a 17-of-22 effort from the
foul line, the contest may have resulted in defeat. Chris McFarland led the
way for ASU, as he tallied 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. Shawn
Hall and Graham Bunn added 11 points apiece in the win, and Josh Shehan pulled
down 10 points to go along with his nine points. Although Hall's 37 percent
shooting from the floor this season is shaky to say the least, he is averaging
20.6 ppg. Bunn, who is netting 12.8 ppg, has racked up 127 assists against 72
turnovers. McFarland (11.2 ppg) and Shehan (10.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg) add plenty of
balance to the lineup.

Offensively, ETSU depends heavily on the core group of Jerald Fields, Zakee
Wadood and Tim Smith. Wadood has been a force all season, as he is scoring
14.6 ppg to go along with a team-high 7.6 rpg. Smith and Fields are averaging
14.0 and 12.6, respectively, and Smith is the squad's top ball distributor
with 3.7 apg. In the disappointing loss to Furman, Smith led ETSU with 19
points and Wadood contributed 16. Fields finished with a double-double, as he
managed to rack up 11 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out late in the
contest. The Bucs shot only 41.7 percent from the floor on the night and
committed 16 turnovers that proved to be costly.

Although the Mountaineer have the potential to reach the century mark at the
offensive end on any given night, give a slight edge to the Bucs tonight. They
have been tremendous at home this season and will likely be eager to avenge a
poor effort against Furman last time out.

 

[billiam2005]

St. Peter's (9-17) at Siena (17-9)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 1st, 4:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Pepsi Arena (15,500) -- Albany, New York.
Television: None. Home Record: St. Peter's 6-6, Siena 8-5. Away Record: St.
Peter's 3-8, Siena 8-4. Neutral Record: St. Peter's 0-3, Siena 1-0. Conference
Record: St. Peter's 6-11, Siena 11-6. Series Record: St. Peter's leads, 32-26.

GAME NOTES: The St. Peter's Peacocks and the Siena Saints close out their
respective regular seasons against one another this afternoon in a Metro
Atlantic Athletic Conference tilt from Pepsi Arena in Albany. With losses in
three of its last four outings, St. Peter's has dropped to 9-17 overall and
6-11 in the MAAC standings. The Peacocks are currently in eighth place in the
10-team league, and they are coming off a heart-breaking 73-71 defeat against
Fairfield on Wednesday. Of the 11 road games that they have played this
season, only three have resulted in victory. As for Siena, it is currently
tied for third place in the MAAC with an 11-6 league record. The Saints are
riding the wave of a four-game winning streak that includes an impressive
72-68 decision over Manhattan at home on Thursday. Although St. Peter's owns a
32-26 lead in the all-time series between these two teams, Siena recorded a
convincing 81-63 victory in the first meeting this season.

Although St. Peter's has struggled this season, the play of Keydren Clark has
certainly been a positive. He has led the squad in scoring in 22 of 26 games
and is currently averaging 24.5 ppg to go along with a team-high 109 assists.
Unfortunately for Clark, none of his teammates are averaging double figures in
the scoring column. Against Fairfield on Wednesday, Clark racked up 30 points,
six assists and five rebounds. Although he shot a poor 9-of-27 from the floor
overall, Clark managed to make good on 6-of-13 three-point attempts. Devin
Thompson put forth a strong effort for the Peacocks in that contest, as he
finished with 14 points and 12 boards. The main reason that St. Peter's was
able to hang around in the contest despite being such a heavy underdog was
that it forced Fairfield into a staggering total of 24 turnovers.

The Saints are scoring 75 ppg this season and surrendering 71 ppg to their
opponents. Prosper Karangwa is connecting on only 39.9 percent of his field
goal attempts, but is the team's leading scorer at 16.4 ppg. Karangwa's
talents are not limited to scoring, however, as he is also pulling down 6.4
rpg and dishing out 5.0 apg. Michael Haddix is a solid second scoring option
for Siena, as he is netting 14.1 ppg to go along with his team-high 7.0 rpg.
Tommy Mitchell rounds out the double-digit scorers for the club with 13.3 ppg
despite 39.1 percent accuracy on his field goal attempts. Mitchell racked up a
team-high 17 points in the win over Manhattan two days ago, while Haddix and
Karangwa added 16 points apiece. Haddix finished with a double-double thanks
to a game-high 12 rebounds. A key to the victory for the Saints was that they
held a commanding 40-26 rebounding advantage, including a 15-10 edge on the
offensive boards.

Siena easily cruised past St. Peter's on the road earlier this season, so
knocking off the Peacocks at home today should be no problem. Even if Clark
tallies 30 or more points, the Saints figure to come out on top in the contest
by double figures.

 

[billiam2005]

Gonzaga (21-7) at San Diego (16-10)


DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 1st, 9:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Jenny Craig Pavilion (5,100) -- San Diego, California.
Television: Local. Home Record: Gonzaga 10-2, San Diego 7-4. Away Record:
Gonzaga 8-1, San Diego 8-6. Neutral Record: Gonzaga 3-4, San Diego 1-0.
Conference Record: Gonzaga 11-2, San Diego 10-3. Series Record: Gonzaga leads,
38-19.

GAME NOTES: The San Diego Toreros have to knock off number one if they want a
share of the West Coast Conference title, as they play host to the Gonzaga
Bulldogs from the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The Bulldogs have won two games in a
row and four of their last five, including a 71-66 victory against Santa Clara
on Thursday. The win secured the top seed in the WCC for Gonzaga, as it has
gone an impressive 11-2 in league action this season and an even more amazing
8-1 on the road. The Toreros have put themselves into second place in the WCC
by winning seven of their last eight games. San Diego is locked into the
second seed in the Tournament at 10-3 in conference play and recently defeated
Portland, 92-69 on Thursday. San Diego has played well at home this season and
has posted a record of 7-4 from the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Tonight marks the
58th meeting between these two schools on the hardwood, with Gonzaga holding a
38-19 series advantage. The Bulldogs have won eight straight against the
Toreros, including an 89-65 victory in Spokane earlier this season.

Blake Stepp has been one of the most impressive players in the WCC this
season, as he is second in the conference with 18.1 ppg and first with 6.1
apg. Stepp is shooting an impressive 43 percent from behind the arc and also
pulling down a solid 4.0 rpg. Ronny Turiaf is averaging 15.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg,
while shooting 54.1 percent from the floor and leading the team with 1.4 bpg.
Cory Violette has been a monster on the boards for Gonzaga, grabbing 8.1 rpg
and scoring 11.5 ppg on 51.6 percent shooting from the floor. Stepp finished
with 16 points and seven assists, to lead the Bulldogs in their clinching
victory over Santa Clara. Turiaf added 12 points, while Zach Gourde knocked in
10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor. Gonzaga shot 47.9 percent from
the field and 50 percent from three-point range, while holding Santa Clara to
only 41.4 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from long range.

Jason Keep is the only player ahead of Stepp in scoring in the WCC, averaging
18.3 ppg on 63.1 percent shooting from the field. Keep has been arguably the
Most Valuable Player in the WCC, but is definitely the most important player
to the Toreros' success, as he is also ripping down a WCC-best 9.0 rpg. Jason
Blair is contributing 17.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg, while shooting 41.1 percent from
three-point range for San Diego. Roy Morris is the third Torero in double
figures, averaging 12.6 ppg on 42.2 percent shooting from three-point land.
The big three for San Diego had another excellent performance in the win
against Portland, as Blair led the team with 24 points and eight rebounds.
Keep came one rebound shy of double-double, finishing with 23 points and a
team-high nine boards. Morris shot a perfect 3-of-3 from long range, as he was
able to score 17 points in the win. The Toreros shot 58.2 percent from the
floor and 53.3 percent from three-point territory, helping them overcome 20
turnovers.

This game has everything you could want for a season finale, as not only the
top two teams in the WCC battle, but so do the two leading scorers and
candidates for Conference Player of the Year. Gonzaga has been one of the best
road teams in the nation this season and its defensive play will keep this
game close to the very last second

 

[billiam2005]

San Francisco (13-13) at Pepperdine (15-11)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 1st, 10:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Firestone Fieldhouse (3,104) -- Malibu, California.
Television: Local. Home Record: San Francisco 9-5, Pepperdine 6-5. Away
Record: San Francisco 4-8, Pepperdine 6-6. Neutral Record: San Francisco 0-0,
Pepperdine 3-0. Conference Record: San Francisco 8-5, Pepperdine 7-6. Series
Record: San Francisco leads, 57-40.

GAME NOTES: Two teams fighting for the third seed in the West Coast Conference
Tournament do battle from the Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California
tonight, as the San Francisco Dons take on the Pepperdine Waves. San Francisco
has alternated wins and losses over its last four games, including a 75-69
victory over Loyola Marymount on Friday night. With the win, the Dons improved
to an even 13-13 on the season and 8-5 in the WCC. Pepperdine has won four of
its last five games, including a 72-67 victory over St. Mary's last night.
With the win, the Waves improved to 15-11 on the season and are now one game
above .500 at Firestone Fieldhouse at 6-5. San Francisco has a 57-40 all-time
series advantage over Pepperdine, including an 87-77 victory earlier this
season.

San Francisco is led on the season by one of the top scorers in the WCC in
Darrell Tucker, who is turning in 18.4 ppg while grabbing 8.1 rpg. John Cox
adds a solid one-two punch with 15.3 ppg on a respectable 43.2 percent
shooting from long range, while Shammell Stallworth adds 12.6 ppg. James
Bayless chips in 10.4 ppg for the Dons, who are averaging 69.0 ppg on 46.4
percent shooting from the field this season. In last night's contest, Tucker
scored a game-high 29 points to lead San Francisco to a 75-69 victory over
Loyola Marymount. Tucker finished the game 11-of-21 from the field with eight
boards, while Bayless added 12 points and seven rebounds. Cox and Stallworth
each chipped in 10 points for the Dons, who overcame 19 turnovers to post the
victory. USF shot a solid 52.9 percent from the field, while holding Loyola
Marymount to 45.0 percent of its shots. The Dons also held advantages in free-
throw points (17-13) and rebounds (37-30).

Terrance Johnson scored a team-high 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the
field to lift Pepperdine to a 72-67 victory over St. Mary's last night. The
Waves received other strong performances from Jimmy Miggins with 14 points and
eight boards, and Boomer Brazzle with 14 points as well. Alex Acker chipped in
13 points for the Pepperdine, which shot 46.3 percent from the field in the
game. St. Mary's shot slightly better, knocking in 47.9 percent of its field
goal attempts, but committed 17 costly turnovers. Neither team did a
particularly good job from the free-throw line, with Pepperdine knocking in
16-of-22 and St. Mary's just 13-of-23. The Waves are led on the season by four
double-digit scorers who contribute immensely to the squad's average of 78.5
ppg on 46.0 percent shooting from the floor. Miggins heads the Waves with 15.2
ppg on a solid 48.2 percent shooting effort, in addition to grabbing 5.8 rpg.
Johnson adds 14.8 ppg on 42.3 percent shooting from long range, while Acker
chips in 13.0 ppg and Brazzle turns in 12.3 ppg and a team-leading 6.2 rpg.

San Francisco has slowed down a bit after ripping through the middle part of
the WCC schedule and a win tonight would give it a great deal of confidence
heading into the conference tournament. Pepperdine is currently tearing up the
WCC and has its sights set on the third seed in the league tourney. The Waves
are the hotter team and should be able to defeat the Dons, who have struggled
on the road this season.