Pepperdine defeats Bakersfield 62-70
Pepperdine Takes Down Bakersfield 70-62 in Thrilling Non-Conference Showdown
In a tightly contested matchup, the visiting Pepperdine Waves edged out the host Bakersfield Beavers 70-62 on Saturday night at the Icardo Center. The Waves' 8-point victory marked a significant win for the team, which improves their overall record and showcases their growing strength in the non-conference schedule.
The first half saw both teams struggle to find their rhythm, with Bakersfield holding a slim 26-33 lead at halftime. However, Pepperdine's Aaron Clark was instrumental in the Waves' success, scoring 17 points in the first half on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting from three-point range.
In the second half, Pepperdine took control of the game, pushing their lead to as high as 11 points at one point. The Beavers made a late push, cutting the deficit to just 5 points with under two minutes remaining. However, the Waves' defense held strong, and they managed to close out the game with a clutch performance from Styles Phipps.
Clark finished the night with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including four three-pointers. He was supported by Yonatan Levy, who grabbed 8 rebounds and chipped in with five points.
For Bakersfield, CJ Hardy led the way with 16 points, but struggled from beyond the arc, going just 2-for-9 on threes. The Beavers' struggles from three-point range ultimately proved costly, as they were outscored 7-of-21 by Pepperdine's shooting squad.
The advanced statistics told a similar story to the box score. Pepperdine's effective field goal percentage (51.8%) and true shooting percentage (55.2%) far exceeded those of Bakersfield (33.3% eFG%, 45.6% True Shooting%). The Waves' rebounding advantage was also notable, with 36 boards compared to the Beavers' 38.
The win marks an important milestone for Pepperdine, which moves to 10-4 on the season. For Bakersfield, it's a tough loss in their home arena, but one that provides a valuable lesson for the team as they look to bounce back in conference play.