MALIBU, Calif.- Pepperdine shot 39 percent from beyond the arc and got a double-double from Michael Ajayi to overtake Lafayette men's basketball, 76-53, on Sunday afternoon in Firestone Fieldhouse.

Junior center Justin Vander Baan was the Maroon and White's main option, recording 14 points, five rebounds and an assist.

Both teams began the contest by trading buckets, matching each other at nine points apiece just four minutes into the contest. Senior guard Eric Sondberg then made a stop on defense, which transitioned to his own 3-pointer, to lead the Waves 12-9 at the 15-minute mark.

Vander Baan netted five points over the following four minutes to extend the Lafayette advantage to 18-13.

Pepperdine pushed ahead, making an 11-0 run to lead 24-18 at 9:08. Kyle Jenkins placed a fast break layup into the basket at 7:45 to halt the Waves, 24-22.

A 15-0 streak down to 2:09, fueled by five points from Houston Mallette and seven team free throws, kept the West Coast Conference foe out of reach for the remainder of the first half, 42-26.

The Leopards opened the second half with 10 points, namely four from Jenkins. Pepperdine used five options to add 19 to their total by the 11-minute mark, 61-36.

The Waves put the contest away, shooting 48 percent from the floor overall for the game. Ajayi was Pepperdine's leading scorer with 27 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

The Waves out-rebounded the Leopards, 40-29, including a 12-7 margin on the offensive glass.

The Leopards host Wilkes on Sunday, Nov. 19 for the 2023-24 home opener inside Kirby Sports Center. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.


For the latest on the Lafayette College men's basketball program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteMBB and Instagram @lafayettembb.