MALIBU, Calif. — Despite leading for most of the game, the BYU men’s basketball team couldn't hang on to the lead in a 76-73 loss in Malibu. Costly turnovers and missed shots by the Cougars, especially in the final minutes, gave Pepperdine the game.

BYU controlled the game in the first half, shooting 48 percent from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Strong first half defense from BYU held the Waves to 36 percent shooting and 12.5 percent from three. BYU ended the game ahead in shooting percentage (44-42 percent) and three point percentage (25-19 percent), but were outscored in the paint, didn’t win the rebounding battle and committed 13 costly turnovers.

Head coach Mark Pope took responsibility for the Cougars’ inability to hang on for the win.

“I’m super disappointed,” he said. “Just a disgusting job coaching. Pepperdine is a really good team. We know that. They’re really talented. They’re extremely well- prepared and well-coached. Lorenzo [Romar] does a great job, and I did a poor job tonight. So that’s the end result.”

Spencer Johnson led the Cougars in scoring with 15 points, one point off his career high. Caleb Lohner had 11 points, all of which came in the first half. Lohner also led the Cougars in rebounds with six. 

Alex Barcello and Richard Harward scored in double figures with 12 and 10 points respectively. Matt Haarms, Kolby Lee and Brandon Averette put six, seven and eight points on the scoreboard respectively. 

BYU wasted no time getting going in the game. The Cougars began with a successful post move by Haarms and a three pointer by Lee, putting the Cougars up 5-3. A big-time Lohner dunk put BYU in double digits first, leading 11-5. 

BYU would keep its lead for the entire first half, entering the locker room up 37-32. 

Today’s loss marks the first time this season that BYU has lost after leading at the half. It was Pepperdine’s first victory of the season when trailing at the half. 

BYU went up by 11 to start the second half, for the biggest lead of the game. A second-chance layup by Lee and a three by Barcello set the tone. Pepperdine regrouped and countered by hitting three straight shots, putting the Waves within five. 

The Waves would go on a 19-6 run at that point, changing the game. Pepperdine took the lead for the first time up 49-48. 

The lead went back-and-forth at that point, with both teams evenly matched in the box score. BYU and Pepperdine were both shooting 43 percent at that point. 

There were 10 ties and nine lead changes in the second half.

Lots of action down the stretch resulted in the game’s final tie at 71-71. Pepperdine went ahead on free throws. The Cougars had chances to tie the game in the final minute but couldn’t convert.

BYU is scheduled to next play on the road at San Diego, Feb. 2. That game will be broadcast through the Stadium Network and will be available on BYU Radio. The Jan. 30 matchup against San Francisco that BYU was originally scheduled to play next has been postponed due to a pause in the USF program due to COVID-19 precautions.

Box Score
Postgame Notes & Quotes

PROVO, Utah – BYU men’s basketball will face Pepperdine (6-7, 2-2) in the second game of a back-to-back two-game series on Wednesday in Malibu. The Cougars defeated the Waves on Saturday, 65-54. After Pepperdine trimmed a 16-point BYU lead down to just three, the Cougars went on an 8-0 run to close out the game.

A WCC-produced broadcast of the game will be on BYUtv at 12 p.m. PST. It will also be broadcast live on the BYU Sports Network on BYU Radio – Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2 and KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM.

BYU Notes (13-3, 4-1 West Coast Conference)

• The Cougars are 13-3, most recently defeating Pepperdine 65-54 at the Marriott Center.
• BYU has wins over Pepperdine, San Francisco, Saint Mary’s, Weber State, Texas Southern, No. 18 San Diego State, Utah, Utah State, St. John’s, Utah Valley, New Orleans and Westminster. The three losses were to USC, Boise State and No. 1 Gonzaga.
• BYU is led by senior guard Alex Barcello who is averaging 15.1 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. Barcello is 33-for-64 from beyond the arc. The 52% clip is No. 2 in the nation among players who have shot 60+ threes. 
• Matt Haarms tied a season-high with four blocks against the Waves on Saturday, bringing his season total to 29. If the season were to end today, his 2.1 blocks per game average would place him No. 4 all-time at BYU for an individual season, just beating out Eric Mika’s 1.9 average. The 56 blocks he is on track to finish with would put him at No. 7 all-time, one more than the 55 blocks Noah Hartsock had in 2011-12. 

Head Coach – Mark Pope

• Alma Mater: Kentucky, 1996
• Division I Career Record: 114-67 (6th season)
• Record at BYU: 37-11 (2nd season)

 Pepperdine Notes (6-7, 2-2 West Coast Conference)

• Pepperdine is 6-7, after falling to BYU 65-54 last week.
• Pepperdine has wins this season over Pacific, Portland, Concordia-Irvine, Cal, Saint Katherine, and UC Irvine. Its losses have come to BYU, No. 1 Gonzaga, CSU Bakersfield, UC Santa Barbara, CSUN, San Diego State, and No. 22 UCLA.
• In the first game against BYU, the Waves second half was much cleaner than their first, on both ends of the floor. Pepperdine shot 14% better from the field in the second half, while holding the Cougars to 13% less than what they shot in the first 20 minutes of play. Both teams scored 28 points in the second half.
• Pepperdine is led by guard Colbey Ross and forward Kessler Edwards. In the game on Saturday, Ross scored 21 points, going 7-16 from the field. He also pulled down two rebounds and led the team in assists, with four. Edwards was held in check most of the night, scoring just 11 after dropping 37 two nights earlier. He did, however, finish the night with a double-double, grabbing 10 boards, nine of which coming on the defensive end. He was named the WCC Player of the Week.

Head Coach – Lorenzo Romar

• Alma Mater: Cincinnati, 1992
• Division I Career Record: 429-325 (24th Season)
• Record at Pepperdine: 80-85 (6th Season; 1996-99, 2018-present)

Series Information

• All-Time Series: BYU leads 17-7
• Last Meeting: BYU won 65-54, 1/23/2020
• BYU’s six-game win streak is the second longest in the history of the series. The Cougars won seven straight from 2003-2013, but only four of those games came with BYU as a member of the WCC.
• Waves head coach Lorenzo Romar is 0-6 all-time against the Cougars. In addition to the last four matchups as WCC foes, BYU defeated him when he was at Pepperdine during the 1997-98 season, and again in the first round of the 2013 NIT when he was the head coach of the Washington Huskies.

Broadcast Information

• TV: BYUtv (DirecTV: 374, DISH: 9403) / AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (DirectTV: 683, DISH: 5414)
• TV Talent: JB Long (play-by-play), Wyking Jones (analyst)
• Radio: BYU Sports Network, BYU Radio Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2, KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM
• Streamed Audio: BYURadio.org, BYUCougars.com/LiveRadio and the BYU Radio, BYUCougars and BYU Gameday apps
• Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell (play-by-play)
• Live Stats: BYUcougars.com