Pepperdine, Led by White, Defeats U. of San Diego

Pepperdine’s Eric White was tough on offense and defense Saturday night and led the Waves to a 60-50 win over the University of San Diego, defending West Coast Athletic Conference champion.

White, a 6-8 sophomore forward, scored a game-high 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. He also held USD’S 6-11 sophomore center, Scott Thompson, to eight points (two in the first half) and four rebounds.

Pepperdine ran its winning streak to seven games and raised its overall record to 13-6 and its conference mark to 2-0. The Waves also snapped USD’s 15-game winning streak at home (10 this season) and dropped the Toreros to 11-5 and 0-1 in the WCAC.

White scored 14 points in the first half to break open a tight game in which the lead change hands 10 times in the first seven minutes.

Wave freshman forward Levy Middlebrooks, who had nine rebounds, as did teammate Anthony Frederick, hit a short jumper to give Pepperdine a 14-13 lead with 12:47 left in the first half.

The Waves then outscored the Toreros, 24-11, to finish with a 38-24 halftime lead. White hit two baskets and two free throws in the last 3 1/2 minutes of the first period.

Pepperdine, which had been shooting 58% from the field in its last three games before tonight, shot only 45.8% against the Toreros, who were slightly better at 48.9%. But the Waves outrebounded USD, 28-23.

Jim Harrick, Pepperdine coach, said: “We didn’t shoot well and leveled off in the second half because we were a little tired. White did a good job on defense against Thompson, and Frederick didn’t play well. But Frederick’s tip-dunk in the second half gave us the impetus to keep going.”

USD Coach Hank Egan said his team “didn’t do a good job on defense,” but defended his center Thompson, the WCAC’s freshman of the year last season.

“He’s only a sophomore and he’s struggling,” Egan said. “Last year his role was minimal, but this year it’s a very large one.”

He said that some of the blame should be laid to Thompson’s teammates, “some of it was my fault and some of it was his.”