With less than a minute remaining in regulation and the game tied at 86, the Trojans converted a free throw to take a one-point lead. Boomer Brazzle missed two opportunities underneath the basket, and the Waves were forced to foul again. Mark Green converted both free throws to extend the lead to three with three seconds to play.
Following a series of timeouts, Acker inbounded the ball to Terrance Johnson, who dropped a 25-foot three-pointer as he fell out of bounds to force the first overtime.
In the first overtime, it was Acker's turn to play hero. He evened the game at 100 with 29 seconds to play with a runner in the lane, then blocked a shot by Little Rock at the buzzer to send it into a second overtime.
Acker picked right up where he left off, opening the final period with a three-pointer. The Waves never looked back, leading by as many as eight points and finally holding off the Trojans (7-5) for the exhausting victory.
Pepperdine (7-4) will have to recover quickly, as they will face host New Mexico in the championship game Sunday night. The Lobos (4-5) took care of Portland State, 69-52, in the other first-round matchup.
Thrust into the starting lineup due to an injury to senior guard Devin Montgomery, Acker's game was one of the great efforts any Wave has turned in in many years, but as one might imagine in a 116-point game, he was not alone. Johnson finished with 22 points, and Jimmy Miggins added 21 and nine assists. Mike Westphal also set career highs with 14 points and five rebounds.
Besieged by injuries, Pepperdine will be relying on a small core of players to carry a tremendous load the rest of this season. If Acker continues to play like he did in Albuquerque, the Waves will weather the storm of injuries in fine shape.