The Pepperdine men’s and women’s basketball teams concluded their respective seasons this past weekend at the West Coast Conference tournament in Las Vegas. While both had dreams of qualifying for the NCAA tournament, “March Madness” will have to be delayed another year.
After finishing the WCC regular season in fifth place with an 8-8 mark, the Pepperdine women began the tournament with a second round contest against Loyola Marymount. Behind the efforts of two-time WCC Defensive Player of the Year Jazmine Jackson, the Waves defeated the Lions, 56-45, to advance to the quarterfinals.
Jackson scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Pepperdine pulled away late in the second half to earn the victory at the Orleans Arena. She scored 10 points over the final 10 minutes of the game to help the Waves prevail.
“This was a hard-fought contest,” Pepperdine Coach Julie Rousseau said after the game. “It is a crosstown rivalry. The tournament is about gaining momentum and I thought we played well in the second half.”
Jackson and fellow senior Lauren Bell (10 points, six rebounds vs. Loyola) were the catalysts all season for Pepperdine (14-15). It was Bell’s turn to shine the next day as Pepperdine took on the fourth-seeded Gaels of Saint Mary’s. Despite a career-high 30 points and six three-pointers from Bell, the Waves lost a 67-63 nailbiter.
In a game that featured fast-paced, end-to-end action, Bell scored 18 points in the first half as she led Pepperdine to a 33-32 lead at the break. The second half featured seven ties with neither team leading by more than three points at any time. With seven seconds left and Pepperdine trailing 65-63, Jackson missed a five-foot shot in the lane. Saint Mary’s hit free throws at the other end moments later to ice the game.
Jackson scored an unusually low six points, and after the game the pain was visible in her eyes as a decorated four-year career came to an abrupt end.
“I wish I could have done more to help her (Bell),” said Jackson, who also contributed five assists and four rebounds.
Still, her teammate said there were no regrets as the team played hard.
“Even though we fell short, I’m very proud of my team,” Bell said.
Seniors Katie Menton (14 points, five rebounds) and Skye Barnett (six points, nine rebounds) each turned in solid performances in the final game of their careers. Jackson, Bell and Menton each amassed more than 1,000 points in their careers.
“They (the seniors) will be missed greatly but their legacy will remain,” Rousseau said. “They have heart.”
On the men’s side, it was a tough end to a difficult season in head coach Marty Wilson’s first year in charge. The Waves (10-19) arrived at the tournament with hopes of springing a first round upset, but fell to sixth-seeded San Diego 76-54.
After going down by 11 at the half, the Waves fought back to get within four, 41-37, with 15 minutes remaining in the game. But the Toreros rode the hot shooting of freshman guard Johnny Dee, who scored 30 points, to distant themselves from Pepperdine.
Corbin Moore collected his eighth double-double of the season, the most at Pepperdine since 2001, with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Taylor Darby added 15 points and eight rebounds, while walk-on Richard Branning nailed two three-pointers and scored six points. The trio are the only seniors this year for a young Pepperdine team, which perhaps goes some way to explaining this season’s struggles.
“Taylor (Darby) and I were asked to do a lot this season,” Moore said. “I hope that our careers will help Pepperdine to move up in the WCC and make a run in this tournament the next couple of years.”
Wilson is looking to rebuild a Pepperdine program that has some history, claiming WCC tournament championships back in 1991, 1992 and 1994. He said Moore and Darby have helped set the foundation for the future.
“I’ve asked my two seniors (Moore and Darby) to be leaders on and off the floor,” Wilson said at the press conference following the game. “I’ve asked a lot of them and they’ve done all those things. I’m proud of them. Our team competed all season long.”