The Saint Mary’s Gaels (14-1) will attempt to extend an eight-game winning streak when they compete against the Pepperdine Waves (9-6) at Firestone Fieldhouse. The game gets underway at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 9.
The Waves were victorious over Pacific 81-76 on Thursday. Lamond Murray Jr. played a key role, recording 31 points and 10 rebounds to notch his first double-double this season. The Gaels are coming off a 73-48 win over Loyola Marymount on Thursday. Emmett Naar led the team in scoring with 15 points on 4-for-8 shooting.
Notes
Saint Mary’s won its last game by a 25-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Pepperdine is 2-1. Saint Mary’s is 9-0 in blowouts this season.
The Saint Mary’s Gaels have the nation’s top offensive rating (128.3). The Pepperdine Waves have a defensive rating of 99.9 (ranked 147th).
Saint Mary’s has the first-ranked average field goal percentage at 53.9%. Pepperdine has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage (0-2).
The Pepperdine Waves rank higher based on their field goal percentage (170th) than their effective field goal percentage (237th), while the Saint Mary’s Gaels rank the same for both metrics (first).
Ranked sixth in the nation, Saint Mary’s has an average of 19.7 assists per game. Pepperdine ranks lower at 153rd with 13.9.
Pepperdine ranks 166th in offensive rebounds, while Saint Mary’s ranks 37th in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 18.8% when playing Pepperdine this season. Saint Mary’s is undefeated (1-0) when its TO% is 18.8% or higher.
