Lewis Leaves It All in Reserve

Craig Lewis has learned the hard way that Pepperdine Coach Paul Westphal isn’t shy about making lineup changes.

A starter most of last season and every game this season until the Waves’ last game against West Virginia, the shooting guard has watched his minutes drop precipitously. On Saturday night against Brigham Young, he played only nine.

That didn’t keep him from making an impact. Lewis made two three-point baskets in overtime and drew a charging foul to prevent a game-tying attempt as Pepperdine held on to defeat the red-hot Cougars, 82-79, before an overflow crowd of 3,378 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The victory capped a grueling nonconference schedule for Pepperdine (7-6). The results were mixed with victories over UCLA and USC and losses to Oregon, Arizona and Georgia, but Westphal is glad to accept the mark. BYU (10-3) had won eight in a row, including an upset of Stanford.

“Considering that probably only three games we were favorites in and some of those wins coming against ranked teams, I’m very pleased,” he said.

Lewis was averaging 11.1 points to rank third on the team. But he started and played only 10 minutes against Arizona and 11 against West Virginia in a reserve role.

The senior didn’t enter Saturday’s game until only four minutes remained in the second half. Instead of sulking, Lewis waited patiently and provided a lift as soon as he entered. He made two free throws and drilled a three-pointer to give Pepperdine a 63-61 lead with 1:49 remaining.

“Every player wants to come out and play a lot and play well,” Lewis said. “Sometimes, it’s not your turn and you have to wait until it’s your turn. I have to be ready when Coach calls on me.”

It was Lewis’ defense on Travis Hansen that made the difference. Jimmy Miggins, who led Pepperdine with 19 points, made a layup with 16.8 seconds left for a three-point lead.

Hansen carried BYU in the second half with 23 of his game-high 32 points and also had a career-high 17 rebounds. He got the ball on the right wing with 8.8 seconds and looked to create some separation to launch a three-point try.

Lewis stayed close to the bigger Hansen and drew the charge. Terrance Johnson missed two free throws on the other end but Miggins grabbed the loose ball and the Cougars never got another chance.