Dec. 21, 2009

Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. --- Sophomore forward Eric Wise tied his season high with 23 points in leading UC Irvine over Pepperdine, 74-61, in a non-conference game Monday night at the Bren Events Center.

Wise added six rebounds, three assists and three steals as the Anteaters snapped a two-game losing streak in improving to 6-5. Senior guard Michael Hunter scored 16 points and had three assists and a pair of steals while junior guard Darren Moore added 14 points. Senior center Zack Atkinson led the 'Eaters with eight rebounds and he added eight points.

Junior forward Mychel Thompson led Pepperdine (3-10) with 16 points as the Waves sustained their seventh consecutive loss. Dane Suttle Jr., added 15 points and Lorne Jackson scored 13.

Pepperdine led 40-37 at halftime as both teams shot 52 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes.

A basket by Taylor Darby gave the Waves a 45-41 lead with 18:18 left in the game before UCI went on a 12-3 run over the next eight minutes, taking a 53-48 lead on a jumper by Hunter with 10:17 remaining.

A basket by Jackson with 3:30 left pulled Pepperdine within 61-59, but four straight points by Wise propelled a 13-0 run by the Anteaters for a 74-59 lead as UCI improved to 4-1 at home this season.

Pepperdine had a 28-13 rebounding edge midway through the second half but UCI closed the gap to 39-34 at game's end. Mike Wilder's five assists led the Anteaters, who amassed 17 for the game.

UCI shot 44.4 percent from the field to Pepperdine's 43.1 percent. The Waves committed 21 turnovers to the Anteaters' nine.

"Pepperdine was shooting the ball well but we applied better defensive pressure in the second half," UCI head coach Pat Douglass said. "The team displayed improved board work in the second half and Wise was good down the stretch."