It did ... in a way no one could have imagined.

Pepperdine defied odds, predictions, and the bounds of human logic to not only outrebound Gonzaga, but dominate them, 47-33 on the boards.

Boomer Brazzle collected 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Waves to an 88-79 humbling of the 13-ranked Bulldogs in front of a standing room only crowd of 3,547 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Glen McGowan came off the bench to score 19 points and grab nine rebounds. Terrance Johnson had 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Craig Lewis had eight points and five assists; Jimmy Miggins added 12 points, five rebounds; and Devin Montgomery scored 11, including 6-6 from the line in the closing minutes to hold off a late comeback.

But the story of this game goes far beyond stats.

Creative coaching and substitution patterns by Paul Westphal changed the complexion of the game, as well. After point guard Montgomery picked up his second foul at the 12:16 mark, Westphal inserted Gary Colbert for the balance of the half. Colbert, the Waves' best perimeter defender, held Dickau in check as much as can be done.

In the second half, Westphal -- who has the luxury of three experienced point guards in Montgomery, Colbert, and Micah McKinney -- played none other than Craig Lewis at the position during the decisive stretch in which the Waves outscored the Zags 18-7. Then when the Waves held a double-digit lead, Montgomery came back because he is the team's most reliable free throw shooter. He did not disappoint, making 6-6 down the stretch to keep the Bulldogs at bay.

How sweet it is to have a coach with such a thorough understanding of the subtleties of the game ... without a temper that cancels it out.

For Gonzaga, Zach Gourde predictably dominated inside for 25 points, while Cory Violette registered 15 points and 11 rebounds. Dan Dickau had 15 points and seven assists, but eight turnovers, as well.

Pepperdine played tenacious defense throughout, doing a good job of closing out on Gonzaga's deadly outside shooters. The Zags did make 7-20 three-pointers, but more often, Dickau, Blake Stepp, and Kyle Bankhead found Waves flying at them and either passed up the shot or were forced into a bad one.

The Waves improve to 10-6, 3-0 in the West Coast Conference -- the only remaining conference unbeaten and alone in first place. They seem to have found a balance between the extremes of the nonconference season. The first six games, they rode their individual talent to high shooting percentages and major upsets. Then they crashed to earth and shot miserably, losing by an average of over 20 points in four straight Division I games.

But now, it seems the NBA-style offense of Paul Westphal has settled into place. The Waves still rely on one-on-one play, but the players have learned when to take an open shot and when to pass up a bad one. They have also found their respective ranges. Of course, it helps that the Waves pulled down a mind-boggling 24 offensive rebounds to cover up any poor shooting choices.

The Bulldogs (15-3, 2-1 WCC) had registered wins over St. John's, St. Joseph's, Texas, New Mexico, and Washington, losing only to nationally ranked Marquette and Illinois. In each case, they owned the boards and proved themselves to be among the top programs in the nation.

Despite these successes, including thrilling road wins in two of college basketball's toughest places to play (St. Joe's and New Mexico), the Bulldogs discovered that there is nothing quite like a conference road game against a hungry, quality opponent.

You just can't say enough about the rebounding story. Though Brazzle and McGowan clearly led the charge, it is a new team attitude about rebounds that makes the difference. What happened to turn the team's biggest weakness into a strength?

"Glen," Craig Lewis said simply. "Glen came back, and there's just a whole new mindset."

Notes:

Gonzaga had won 14 of the last 18 meetings between the schools, including three in a row. Interestingly, the Bulldogs had beaten the Waves eight straight times in the first matchup of the season. In other words, the Bulldogs had marked their territory first in the rivalry eight straight times.

Brazzle notched a career high with his 12 rebounds. He is averaging 13.4 points in the Waves' season-high five game winning streak.

McGowan's 19 points, nine rebounds, and 30 minutes were career highs. Since his return from a semester-long suspension, the Waves are 4-0 and enjoy a rebounding edge of eight per game, compared to a deficit of nearly ten per game without him.