Pepperdine’s Tournament Hopes Crash

SAN DIEGO —  So this is what is meant by the domino effect.

First to go down was Pepperdine forward David Lalazarian, pulled to the ground in a tussle for a loose ball with 9:18 to play. He landed on his head, opening a gash above his left eye that required seven stitches.

Next to fall was every shot put up by Santa Clara in the ensuing four minutes, seven in all, including five three-point baskets. The Waves’ double-digit lead vanished.

The last domino to drop was Pepperdine, eliminated from the West Coast Conference tournament by Santa Clara, 84-78, in a semifinal Sunday night before 4,661 at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Any chance of an NCAA tournament berth is gone as well. The Waves (21-8) are resigned to hoping for an NIT bid.

“Everyone wanted to win this tournament and go to the NCAAs, but I can look forward to the NIT,” said Lalazarian, one of three Wave seniors. “I don’t want our season and my career to end like this.”

Lalazarian was Pepperdine’s most effective player, scoring 17 points in 22 minutes. It was that way for him against the Broncos during the regular season as well. He averaged 22 points in two Pepperdine victories.

In fact, Pepperdine had made a habit of handling Santa Clara, winning all five meetings the past two years, including a conference tournament semifinal last year.

The script began no differently this time. Pepperdine opened an early 19-point lead and was ahead comfortably, 46-33, at halftime. Even guard Brandon Armstrong, who usually starts slow, came out in a boil, making three of his first four shots and scoring 13 in the half.

Armstrong responded to a brief run by Santa Clara (20-11) midway through the second half with a baseline jumper and a three-point shot to restore Pepperdine’s 13-point lead.

However, Lalazarian was toppled a minute later and the Waves crashed. He was fouled on the play and Coach Jan van Breda Kolff replaced him with 6-foot-10 center Cedric Suitt, a 47.8% free-throw shooter. Suitt missed the front end of the one-and-one opportunity.

“David is a very determined player who was playing extremely well,” Van Breda Kolff said. “He was a vital cog. When he went out, it allowed Santa Clara to double team [center] Kelvin Gibbs in the low post.

“I caught myself thinking, ‘I wish David Lalazarian was in there.’ ”

Lalazarian returned with 1:06 to play to appreciative applause, but by then Pepperdine trailed, 77-75, and Santa Clara had all the momentum.

Bronco guard Brian Jones hit two free throws, then after Gibbs converted a three-point play, Jones made two more free throws to extend the lead to 81-78 with 37.3 seconds left.

On the Waves’ last two possessions, Armstrong, who scored 21, missed a three-point shot from the baseline and Micah McKinney made an errant pass.

Jones scored 12 of his 15 in the second half. His five assists give him 514 in his career, breaking the Santa Clara record set by Steve Nash. Jones missed his first six shots, but made two three-point baskets during the Broncos’ pivotal string of five in a row.

“We didn’t come out and establish ourselves in the second half and they made some very long threes,” Van Breda Kolff said.

*

Santa Clara guard Jason Morrissette, a freshman from Fairfax High, suffered from a rapid, irregular heartbeat around 11:30 p.m. Saturday and was treated at Scripps Hospital in San Diego.

The condition persisted and Morrissette did not play Sunday night against Pepperdine. He was released from the hospital during the afternoon and attended the game.

A Santa Clara spokesman said Morrissette should return to normal activity in three to four weeks.

Gonzaga 76, San Diego 68--The two-time defending tournament champion Bulldogs (23-6) overcame a 14-point first-half deficit with a 16-0 run, then secured the victory over the Toreros (16-13) by making eight free throws in the final minute.

Guard Dan Dickau scored 24, including a three-point shot with 2:46 to play that extended Gonzaga’s lead to 66-57. Forward Casey Calvary had 17 points and five rebounds.

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WCC Tournament

at Jenny Craig Pavilion, San Diego

TONIGHT’S FINAL

Santa Clara (20-11) vs. Gonzaga (23-6), 9 p.m., ESPN