Craig Lewis' desperation, NBA-range three-pointer with two seconds left capped a 16-4 run to complete one of the most remarkable and significant comeback victories in school history in front of 4,632 fans at the Great Western Forum -- the majority of which were backing the
underdog Waves.
Riding the energy of a Pepperdine student section that seemed larger than most home games, Pepperdine's balanced attack and chaotic tempo finally caught up with the Trojans. All five USC starters played 29 minutes or more, led by Sam Clancy and Desmon Farmer, who played all 40.
USC held a 73-62 lead at the 8:00 mark of the game and was noticably slowing the tempo to conserve energy. But the Waves were just getting their second wind, and quickly scored seven straight points to get within four. After the Trojans hit two of four free throws, the Waves scored six straight points to earn their first tie since midway through the first half.
Brandon Granville put the Trojans up 77-75 with a runner with 26 seconds left, and the Waves' Cedric Suitt missed an eight-footer with ten seconds left. Clancy grabbed the rebound and was fouled, but could not convert either free throw.
Lewis and super-sophomore Terrance Johnson led the Waves with 19 points apiece. Jimmy Miggins and Devin Montgomery, who did not start after being suspended for Tuesday night's game, had 15 and 13, respectively. Suitt had four points, eight rebounds, and four blocks while drawing the unenviable task of guarding Clancy.
The Waves' 53% shooting, including 8-17 threes, was the only thing that kept them in the game for the first 30 minutes.
Clancy is an NBA-level talent. He was quite literally head and shoulders above everyone for the majority of the game, grabbing seemingly every offensive rebound and scoring on a dizzying array of post moves, jump shots, and putbacks. He dominated the game with 25 points and 14 rebounds, but in fact it was the exhausted senior's two missed free throws with eight seconds remaining that set the stage for Lewis' heroics.
The Waves' patented full-court style did not lead to a turnover edge (both teams finished with 14) but the long-term effect of the game's pace was apparent as the Trojans hit a wall with eight minutes left. After hitting 18 of their first 21 free throws, USC hit just two of seven down the stretch. Suddenly, they were no longer casually grabbing every loose ball and rebound.
With the win, the Waves achieved the once-unthinkable: wins over USC and UCLA in the same season. Though the Trojans are clearly way ahead of the young, struggling Bruins, these are the local major-conference powerhouses and the Waves suddenly have bragging rights for the season. The impact on recruiting and the progam's local and national profile are incalculable.
First things first, though: the Waves have less than 48 hours to enjoy the victory before renewing the "War by the Shore" rivalry at UC Santa Barbara Saturday night. The vastly improved Gauchos now have even more reason to be ready for the Waves, and Pepperdine cannot afford a letdown.