Halftime Report

The last time Pepperdine and N. Arizona met, the game was decided by 19 points, but it sure doesn't look like the final score will be so lopsided this time. After one quarter, neither team has the match in the bag, but Pepperdine leads 44-42 over N. Arizona.

If Pepperdine keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 5-6 in no time. On the other hand, N. Arizona will have to make due with a 7-4 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

N. Arizona Lumberjacks @ Pepperdine Waves

Current Records: N. Arizona 7-3, Pepperdine 4-6

How To Watch

What to Know

The N. Arizona Lumberjacks will face off against the Pepperdine Waves at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Lumberjacks have been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

N. Arizona took a loss when they played away from home last Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They walked away with a 95-82 victory over South Dakota. With that win, the Lumberjacks brought their scoring average up to 77.1 points per game.

N. Arizona was working as a unit and finished the game with 20 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in February.

Meanwhile, Pepperdine was fully in charge on Saturday, breezing past Grambling State 85-57. The oddsmakers were on the Waves' side, but they didn't give the squad enough credit as the margin was unexpectedly wide.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Pepperdine to victory, but perhaps none more so than Stefan Todorovic, who posted 22 points plus seven rebounds. Dovydas Butka was another key player, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 13 rebounds.

N. Arizona pushed their record up to 7-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Pepperdine, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 4-6 record this season.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: N. Arizona has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 40 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Pepperdine struggles in that department as they've been averaging 38.1. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

N. Arizona is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. They are a gamble against the spread as they sit with a 2-5 ATS record.

Odds

Pepperdine is a 4-point favorite against N. Arizona, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Waves as a 3.5-point favorite.


The over/under is 145 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Pepperdine has won both of the games they've played against N. Arizona in the last 5 years.

  • Dec 03, 2022 - Pepperdine 88 vs. N. Arizona 69
  • Dec 21, 2019 - Pepperdine 75 vs. N. Arizona 73