MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Pepperdine pulled away in the second half to defeat Rice 84-62 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves led 36-29 at halftime before outscoring the Owls 48-33 after the break. The victory improved Pepperdine to 5-8 this season, while Rice fell to 6-7. An announced crowd of 566 saw the home team secure the win. Pepperdine’s next game is Sunday against Gonzaga, while Rice visits Tulsa on Dec. 31.

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Aaron Clark scored 25 points and Pepperdine used a dominant second-half surge to pull away from Rice for an 84-62 victory in nonconference men’s basketball Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves, who led 36-29 at halftime, outscored the Owls 48-33 after the break to snap a two-game skid and improve to 5-8. Rice dropped to 6-7 with the loss. Clark, a 6-foot-6 guard from Easton, Pennsylvania, was efficient in his 34 minutes, adding three assists. His backcourt mate, Javon Cooley of Chicago, provided crucial support with 15 points. The duo combined for 40 points, spearheading a Pepperdine offense that found its rhythm decisively in the final 20 minutes. Rice guard Trae Broadnax of Savannah, Georgia, kept the Owls within striking distance for much of the contest, finishing with a team-high 19 points. However, the Owls’ offense struggled with consistency, particularly during a critical stretch early in the second half when Pepperdine built a double-digit lead it would not relinquish. The most important sequence of the game unfolded shortly after halftime, turning a competitive contest into a comfortable Pepperdine advantage. Leading 38-31, the Waves ignited a 13-2 run over a three-minute span that broke the game open. The burst was fueled by inside-out execution, starting with a Clark layup and capped by consecutive three-pointers from Danilo Dozic. The 6-10 forward from Belgrade, Serbia, hit the first from beyond the arc, and after a Styles Phipps steal led to a transition opportunity, Dozic drained another triple off a Phipps assist to push the lead to 46-33. Rice never recovered from that deficit. Pepperdine’s ball movement and shot-making continued to overwhelm the Owls’ defense. Phipps, a guard from Phoenix, orchestrated the offense with a game-high six assists to go with eight points and a block. Dozic finished with 10 points and three assists, while 7-foot center Stefan Cicic of Riverside, Illinois, added seven points off the bench. For Rice, point guard Jalen Smith of Orlando, Florida, distributed four assists but was held to eight points. The Owls’ frontcourt of Andrew Akuchie and Stephen Giwa each contributed six points, with Giwa adding two blocks. The game began as a back-and-forth affair, with Rice taking an early 6-3 lead on a Trae Broadnax three-pointer. Pepperdine responded with a 7-0 run and maintained a narrow advantage throughout a first half characterized by missed opportunities for both teams. The Waves took their seven-point lead into the locker room despite not shooting exceptionally well, a testament to Rice’s own offensive struggles. The second half, however, was a different story. Pepperdine shot 50% from the floor after halftime and assisted on 11 of its 18 made field goals, displaying a cohesion that had been missing in recent close losses. The Waves also capitalized at the free-throw line down the stretch, with Clark and Phipps combining to go 8-for-8 in the final minutes to seal the outcome. Defensively, Pepperdine disrupted Rice’s flow, forcing 14 turnovers and blocking four shots. The Waves also controlled the glass, outrebounding the Owls 42-35, with Yonatan Levy of Hod HaSharon, Israel, grabbing eight rebounds in 23 minutes. The victory provides momentum for Pepperdine as it heads into West Coast Conference play. The Waves will host Gonzaga on Sunday, Dec. 28. Rice, which had won three of its last four games entering the contest, will look to regroup before its next outing at Tulsa on Wednesday, Dec. 31. An announced crowd of 566 at Firestone Fieldhouse saw Pepperdine outperform its pregame projection. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, the Waves had a 55.2% probability to win, though Rice had been installed as a slight 1.5-point favorite by oddsmakers. The combined score of 146 points exceeded the over/under line of 140.5.

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum before conference play begins will meet Saturday when the Rice Owls visit the Pepperdine Waves at Firestone Fieldhouse. Rice (6-6) enters on a four-game winning streak, its longest of the season, following a dominant 94-47 victory over Southwestern Christian on Wednesday. Pepperdine (4-7) snapped a five-game skid with a 70-62 road win at Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 13 and has had a week off to prepare. The Owls have found their rhythm offensively during their streak, averaging 81.3 points in those wins. A key catalyst has been guard Jalen Smith, who is averaging 15.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his last six games. He posted 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the midweek rout. Pepperdine will counter with its own high-scoring guard in Aaron Clark. He erupted for 25 points in the win over Cal State Bakersfield and had a 30-point performance against Stephen F. Austin earlier in the season. Clark averages a team-high 14.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. While Rice’s recent surge has balanced its record, the Owls have struggled away from home, going 1-4 in true road games. Their only road victory came in overtime at Kennesaw State in November. Pepperdine is 3-2 at home this season, with wins over Lincoln, New Orleans and most recently Vermont. This nonconference matchup serves as a final tune-up for both programs before league action resumes. Rice will open American Athletic Conference play at Tulsa on Dec. 31. Pepperdine faces a daunting start to West Coast Conference play, hosting powerhouse Gonzaga on Dec. 28. The Waves will look to leverage their home court and rest advantage against a Rice team playing its second game in four days. For the Owls, continuing their winning ways hinges on translating their recent home success to the road behind Smith’s all-around play. Pepperdine’s hopes likely rest on Clark’s ability to generate offense against a Rice defense that has tightened during its streak.