Half-time report
There is only one half left between Saint Mary’s and the victory they were favored to achieve tonight. They have a bit of a lead as they currently lead Pepperdine 35-20.
If Saint Mary’s continues to play like this, their record will improve to 12-3 in no time. On the other hand, Pepperdine will have to settle for a 6-10 record unless they turn things around (and quickly).
Who’s playing
Pepperdine Waves @ Saint Mary’s Gaels
Current records: Pepperdine 6-9, Saint Mary’s 11-3
How to watch
What you need to know
Experts predict a (big) victory for Saint Mary’s on Thursday. They have the luxury of staying home for another game and will host the Pepperdine Waves at 10 p.m. ET at the University Credit Union Pavilion. The Gaels will strut after a win while the Waves will stumble after a loss.
Last Saturday, Saint Mary’s earned a 70-60 victory over Pacific.
Luke Barrett was the offensive star of the game, recording a double-double with 20 points and ten rebounds. This dominant performance also earned him a new career high in assists (five). Another player who made the difference was Mitchell Saxen, who had a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds.
Saint Mary’s broke the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive rebounds. These were the most offensive rebounds they had all season.
Meanwhile, Pepperdine pushed its score up to 82 on Monday, but even that wasn’t enough to win. They took an 89-82 hit in the loss column at the hands of Gonzaga. The Waves have struggled recently against the Bulldogs, as it was their 11th straight loss.
Pepperdine’s loss shouldn’t overshadow the performances of Moe Odum, who went 9 of 16 en route to 24 points plus eight assists, and Jaxon Olvera, who went 12 of 21 en route to 27 points. Olvera’s performance made up for a slower game against Santa Clara on Saturday.
Saint Mary’s victory improved its record to 11-3. As for Pepperdine, their loss dropped their record to 6-9.
Rebounding will likely be a big factor in this contest: Saint Mary’s has been smashing the glass this season, averaging 41.1 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Pepperdine struggled in that department, as its average was 37.4. As both teams fight to recover missed shots, we’ll see if one team can take the lead.
It was all rosy for Saint Mary’s against Pepperdine in their previous meeting in February 2024, as the team earned an 83-57 victory. In that game, Saint Mary’s took a 51-28 halftime lead, an impressive feat they will look to repeat on Thursday.
Odds
Saint Mary’s is a heavy favorite with 16.5 points against Pepperdine, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The punters were perfectly in tune with the betting community on this point, as the game opened with a 16.5 point spread and stayed there.
The over/under is 142.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Saint Mary’s has won 9 of its last 10 games against Pepperdine.
- February 29, 2024 – Saint Mary’s 83 vs. Pepperdine 57
- February 15, 2024 – Saint Mary’s 103 vs. Pepperdine 59
- January 19, 2023 – Saint Mary’s 73 vs. Pepperdine 44
- January 29, 2022 – Saint Mary’s 81 vs. Pepperdine 57
- January 13, 2022 – Saint Mary’s 77 vs. Pepperdine 62
- February 22, 2021 – Saint Mary’s 66 vs. Pepperdine 61
- February 13, 2021 – Pepperdine 60 vs. Saint Mary’s 58
- March 8, 2020 – Saint Mary’s 89 vs. Pepperdine 82
- January 18, 2020 – Saint Mary’s 78 vs. Pepperdine 69
- February 16, 2019 – Saint Mary’s 72 vs. Pepperdine 65
