MORAGA, Calif. -- Pepperdine's struggles this season suggested the Waves had virtually no chance against No. 23 Saint Mary's at McKeon Pavilion. But the reminder of Pepperdine's recent success against the Gaels eliminated any possibility that Saint Mary's would take this West Coast Conference opponent lightly.
The Waves handed Saint Mary's two of its three conference losses last season, and they were responsible for the Gaels' only home loss last year, when they beat Saint Mary's in Moraga, Calif., for the second straight season.
With that lingering memory, Saint Mary's exacted a little revenge on Saturday with an 85-65 home victory over Pepperdine, which has lost five games in a row and 14 of its past 15.
"It's something we talked about; "Hey, we went 20-1 at home last year and they were the only ones that beat us,'" said Saint Mary's point guard Joe Rahon, who scored a season-high 22 points.
Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett admitted the Waves feature the strength and athleticism that can bother a team like the Gaels, who rely heavily on patience and precise execution. He knew his players would not forget what happened in past meetings with the Waves.
"You never know what guys are motivated by," Bennett said. "But our guys definitely knew (the recent history), so we respected them."
Rahon, who bettered his previous season high by eight points, was 9 of 13 from the field and 3 of 3 on 3-point shots. He also had five rebounds and five assists with just one turnover.
"Nobody on our team goes in saying, 'I've got to get this many points or take this many shots,'" said Rahon. "That's what makes us successful."
Calvin Hermanson added 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting for Saint Mary's (17-2, 7-1 WCC) and Jock Landale had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Gaels, who shot 56.9 percent from the field, built a 21-point lead midway through the second half before a 12-0 Pepperdine run reduced the margin to nine at 72-63 at the 4:47 mark.
But that was as close as Pepperdine (5-15, 1-7) would get.
The Waves have lost several frontline players because of injuries this season, and coach Marty Wilson thought his team wore down.
"I was proud of our fight and proud of how we competed and executed," Wilson said. "We made mistakes, but that's what (the Gaels) make you do. They wait for you to make mistakes."
The only bright spot for Pepperdine recently has been senior Lamond Murray Jr. Murray scored 29 points against Saint Mary's, and he has scored at least 23 points in five consecutive games.
"He can score in a lot of different ways," Wilson said of Murray, who was 12 of 20 from the field, including 3 of 6 from long range. "He's capable of doing that every night."
Jeremy Major added 17 points for the Waves, but the Pepperdine player who grabbed everyone's attention was Murray, who has made at least half his shots in each his last five games.
"He's really good," Bennett said of Murray. "It's fun to see a guy like that improve over the years. I think he's the best scorer in our league."
Rahon and Hermanson were the Gaels' major offensive weapons in the first half, which ended with Saint Mary's holding a 47-33 lead.
Rahon had 17 of his points in the first half, and Hermanson did not miss a shot in the first 20 minutes, making all six of his field-goal attempts, including three from long range, to score 15 points.
Pepperdine stayed close for most of the first half. The first 3-pointer of freshman Nolan Taylor's career reduced the Gaels' lead to 29-27 with 4:56 left in the half. But the Gaels outscored Pepperdine 18-6 over the remainder of the half to grab the 14-point lead at the break.
"They're probably as disciplined a team as I've seen, offensively and defensively," Wilson said of Saint Mary's. "They just wait for you to make a mistake."
NOTE:
-- Saint Mary's outrebounded Pepperdine 38-22.
-- Pepperdine G Jeremy Major set the school record in career assists in Thursday's loss to BYU.
-- Pepperdine has nine scholarship players available and has lost 58 player-games to health issues this season.
-- Saint Mary's began the day ranked second nationally in scoring defense, allowing 57.4 points per game.
-- Saint Mary's next game is a home contest against San Francisco on Thursday. Pepperdine hosts Portland on Thursday.
