Pepperdine Back on Track, 77-64

After losing to Loyola Marymount last week, Pepperdine was on the verge of falling out of the West Coast Conference title race.

But the Waves climbed back into contention with a 77-64 victory over Portland Friday night before 2,413 at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu.

Forward Dana Jones, the Waves’ leading scorer the last two seasons, had a career-high 31 points and added 14 rebounds as Pepperdine, 12-7 overall and 4-3 in the WCC, moved into a four-way tie for second with Portland, San Francisco and Santa Clara.

The Waves also pulled to within two games of Gonzaga. Pepperdine plays its next two games against the Bulldogs, including tonight at Malibu.

“Now we can control our own destiny,” Coach Tom Asbury said.

Pepperdine shot 51.6% in the first half against Portland (11-11, 4-3) and led by as many as 14 points before settling for a 38-28 halftime lead.