The Pepperdine Waves ran out of steam late, falling to the UCLA Bruins 107-98 in three overtimes on Friday night.<\/p>\n
The Bruins and Waves produced near parallel halves that led to the three extra periods. Pepperdine led 39-32 at the break, but UCLA outscored the Waves 38-31 in the second, forcing the first overtime.<\/p>\n
Pepperdine superstar guard Colbey Ross<\/a> hit a clutch runner with six seconds left to send the game into the second extra quarter of play. However, the Waves lost star forward Kessler Edwards<\/a> to fouls earlier in the period.<\/p>\n In the second overtime, UCLA tied the game with a late free throw and then took control in the third. After two straight three-pointers by Tyger Campbell<\/a> and Jules Bernard<\/a>, the Bruins pulled away early and Pepperdine couldn\u2019t muster enough magic to extend or win the game.<\/p>\n Pepperdine coach Lorenzo Romar said of his team\u2019s performance, \u201cIt\u2019s obviously a tough loss. We had our chances.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bruins shot better than the Waves from the field, especially from behind the arc. UCLA hit 29.4% of their three-pointers. On the other side of the court, Pepperdine attempted a school-record 41 threes, hitting only 22% from long-distance. The game was very tight and even, and both Southern California schools battled hard for an important early-season matchup.<\/p>\n UCLA coach Mick Cronin praised his players, telling the Los Angeles Times<\/a><\/em>, \u201cThey fought out a win against a good team.\u201d<\/p>\n Ross, though already familiar to the West Coast Conference<\/a> and west coast basketball fans, performed well on a big stage for the rest of the nation. He set the Pepperdine career points record with 1,809 after netting a game-high 33 against UCLA. He played all 55 minutes of the match, showcasing not only his stamina and toughness but his clutch play as well.<\/p>\n Ross is on the Naismith Trophy Watch List for College Player of the Year. He is also on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List for Best Men\u2019s Collegiate Point Guard.<\/p>\n UCLA was in desperate need to pull off a key victory, especially against a good mid-major school. The Pac-12 has been disappointing and underachieving as of recent, and with only two teams ranked in the bottom tier of the Associated Press Top 25, early non-conference wins are important. Plus, after an ugly first loss to San Diego State, the team needed to bounce back quickly.<\/p>\n Pepperdine had an opportunity to show the nation they\u2019re prepared to earn a tournament bid. With two superstars in Ross and Edwards and key role players who offer valuable production, goals are high for the Waves this season. A three-overtime loss to a ranked and storied program such as UCLA builds confidence and proves they can compete. However, it\u2019s still a loss. Come March, the tournament committee must weigh if a close loss against a good opponent is a resume builder or burden. A win would have been a much better start for a squad that may be on the tournament bubble in four months.<\/p>\n It doesn’t get much easier for Pepperdine during conference play. San Francisco\u2019s win over No. 4 Virginia on Friday shows the WCC is strong once again. With No. 1 Gonzaga playing beyond already-lofty expectations, BYU dominating their early-season matches, and Saint Mary\u2019s finding their stride, the Waves will have to battle all year.<\/p>\n UCLA\u2019s outlook, however, is bright. The Bruins were already ranked second in the Pac-12 preseason polls behind Oregon.<\/a> With a budding superstar in Campbell and a strong leader in senior guard Chris Smith<\/a>, UCLA has tremendous upside this season. They showed growth and grit in their second game this year and that is invaluable come March.<\/p>\n Two good schools played each other on Friday and it\u2019s too bad the game had to end.<\/p>\n UCLA hosts Long Beach State on Monday night, while Pepperdine hosts San Jose State on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Main CreditRoss on Big Stage<\/h3>\n
What was at stake<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>