Saint Mary's Dominates Pepperdine in NCAAB Clash
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 9:00 PM ET · Firestone Fieldhouse
Saint Mary's Gaels 72, Pepperdine Waves 45, final. Our NCAAB picks are sealed as a hash before kickoff and settled in public, losses included.
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Quick answers
Who won Saint Mary's Gaels vs Pepperdine Waves?
Saint Mary's Gaels beat Pepperdine Waves 72-45 at Firestone Fieldhouse on December 30, 2025.
Who was favored in Saint Mary's Gaels vs Pepperdine Waves?
Saint Mary's Gaels were the favorite at DraftKings, moneyline -3200 (about 97% implied). The favorite won.
In a decisive matchup, the Saint Mary's Gaels triumphed over the Pepperdine Waves with a final score of 72-45. This game showcased the stark contrast between the two teams' current forms, with Saint Mary's on a three-game winning streak and Pepperdine struggling to find consistency. The Gaels improved their record to 14-2, while the Waves fell to 5-11.
Saint Mary's entered the contest with a strong away record of 4-2 and an impressive recent form, winning eight of their last ten games. They averaged 76.5 points scored while allowing 67.6 points during this stretch. Their last five games featured a scoring average of 73.2 points and an average of 67.0 points allowed, indicating a solid offensive and defensive balance.
Conversely, Pepperdine's home record stood at 2-4, and their last ten games yielded a record of 3-7. The Waves averaged 67.9 points scored but struggled defensively, allowing 73.8 points per game. In their last five games, they scored an average of 68.8 points while conceding 73.2 points, reflecting their difficulties on both ends of the court.
The game took place at Firestone Fieldhouse, where the Waves have faced challenges this season. The odds from DraftKings indicated a significant expectation for Saint Mary's dominance, with a spread of 19.5 points in favor of the Gaels and a total set at 141.5 points.
In terms of previous meetings, Saint Mary's had a strong upper hand, winning all three encounters this season against Pepperdine. The latest matchup prior to this game saw the Gaels defeat the Waves 74-59 on March 11, 2025. Their earlier meetings also resulted in convincing victories for Saint Mary's, including a 74-50 win on January 19 and a 71-41 win on January 3.
Injuries did not play a significant role in this game, as both teams fielded their available rosters, allowing them to showcase their full capabilities. The conditions during the game were typical for a late December evening, with players adapting to the indoor environment of Firestone Fieldhouse.
As the game unfolded, viewers witnessed key plays that highlighted Saint Mary's offensive prowess. Notable scoring plays included Andrew McKeever's layup and dunk, as well as Tony Duckett's contributions from the free-throw line. The Gaels maintained control throughout the match, with Pepperdine unable to mount a significant challenge.
Overall, this game emphasized the contrasting trajectories of the two programs, with Saint Mary's solidifying their position as a formidable contender in the NCAAB landscape while Pepperdine continued to seek answers to their struggles.
Odds
| Book | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | SMC -19.5 | 141.5 o -110 / u -110 | Saint Mary's Gaels -3200 · Pepperdine Waves +1400 |
Leaders
- PointsStyles Phipps8Pepperdine Waves
- AssistsYonatan Levy5Pepperdine Waves
- ReboundsStyles Phipps5Pepperdine Waves
- PointsPaulius Murauskas19Saint Mary's Gaels
- AssistsJoshua Dent3Saint Mary's Gaels
- ReboundsAndrew McKeever10Saint Mary's Gaels
Recent form
Pepperdine Waves
Last 10: 3-7Streak L167.9 scored · 73.8 allowed per game2-4 at home
- L56-96vs Gonzaga BulldogsDec 29
- W84-62vs Rice OwlsDec 21
- L78-81at Long Beach State BeachDec 19
- W70-62at Cal State Bakersfield RoadrunnersDec 14
- L56-65vs Vermont CatamountsDec 6
- L63-71vs Abilene Christian WildcatsDec 3
- L69-83at Cal State Fullerton TitansNov 29
- L53-76at Fresno State BulldogsNov 27
- L60-63vs Stephen F. Austin LumberjacksNov 22
- W90-79vs LSU New Orleans PrivateersNov 19
Saint Mary's Gaels
Last 10: 8-2Streak W376.5 scored · 67.6 allowed per game4-2 away
- W78-73at Loyola Marymount LionsDec 29
- W63-58vs Northern Iowa PanthersDec 23
- W88-75vs Florida Atlantic OwlsDec 20
- L67-68at Boise State BroncosDec 14
- W70-61at Davidson WildcatsDec 7
- L71-96at Vanderbilt CommodoresNov 28
- W77-66at Virginia Tech HokiesNov 27
- W70-65at Wichita State ShockersNov 27
- W96-42vs UC Merced BobcatsNov 23
- W85-72vs Arkansas State Red WolvesNov 20
Standings
| Team | Overall | Games behind | In conference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga | 31-4 | - | 16-2 |
| Saint Mary's | 27-6 | - | 16-2 |
| Santa Clara | 26-9 | 1 | 15-3 |
| Oregon State | 17-16 | 7 | 9-9 |
| Seattle U | 21-14 | 8 | 8-10 |
| Pacific | 18-15 | 8 | 8-10 |
| San Francisco | 17-16 | 8 | 8-10 |
| Washington State | 12-20 | 9 | 7-11 |
| Loyola Marymount | 15-17 | 10 | 6-12 |
| Portland | 15-19 | 10 | 6-12 |
| San Diego | 12-21 | 11 | 5-13 |
| Pepperdine | 9-23 | 12 | 4-14 |
Box score
| Stat | Saint Mary's Gaels | Pepperdine Waves |
|---|---|---|
| Field goals | 28-53 | 19-55 |
| Field goal % | 53 | 35 |
| Three-pointers | 6-17 | 4-23 |
| Three-point % | 35 | 17 |
| Free throws | 10-10 | 3-4 |
| Free throw % | 100 | 75 |
| Rebounds | 35 | 26 |
| Offensive rebounds | 7 | 8 |
| Defensive rebounds | 28 | 18 |
| Assists | 13 | 13 |
| Steals | 8 | 4 |
| Blocks | 1 | 2 |
| Turnovers | 10 | 13 |
| Team turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Technical fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Technical fouls, total | 0 | 0 |
| Flagrant fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Points off turnovers | 15 | 9 |
| Fast-break points | 4 | 2 |
| Points in the paint | 42 | 28 |
| Fouls | 8 | 10 |
| Largest lead | 27 | 0 |
| Lead changes | 0 | 0 |
| Time in front | 98 | 0 |
How the scoring went
- 1st Half25-13Joshua Dent makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Half25-15Styles Phipps makes driving layup
- 1st Half27-15Paulius Murauskas makes driving layup (Andrew McKeever assists)
- 1st Half27-17Styles Phipps makes driving layup (Danilo Dožic assists)
- 1st Half29-17Andrew McKeever makes driving layup (Joshua Dent assists)
- 1st Half29-20Aaron Clark makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot
- 1st Half31-20Paulius Murauskas makes driving layup
- 1st Half31-23Luka Vudragovic makes 25-foot three point jumper (Styles Phipps assists)
- 1st Half31-25Pavle Stošic makes layup (Aaron Clark assists)
- 1st Half34-25Dillan Shaw makes 23-foot three point jumper (Mantas Juzenas assists)
- 2nd Half36-25Harry Wessels makes layup
- 2nd Half36-27Pavle Stošic makes layup (Yonatan Levy assists)
- 2nd Half38-27Harry Wessels makes layup
- 2nd Half38-29Aaron Clark makes 8-foot pullup jump shot
- 2nd Half40-29Paulius Murauskas makes 15-foot pullup jump shot
- 2nd Half40-31Aaron Clark makes driving layup
- 2nd Half41-31Liam Campbell makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half42-31Liam Campbell makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half45-31Joshua Dent makes 24-foot three point jumper (Paulius Murauskas assists)
- 2nd Half47-31Paulius Murauskas makes layup (Joshua Dent assists)
- 2nd Half49-31Joshua Dent makes layup (Andrew McKeever assists)
- 2nd Half49-34Danilo Dožic makes 26-foot three point jumper (Styles Phipps assists)
- 2nd Half51-34Paulius Murauskas makes 2-foot dunk (Dillan Shaw assists)
- 2nd Half51-36Styles Phipps makes 17-foot pullup jump shot (Javon Cooley assists)
- 2nd Half53-36Andrew McKeever makes 5-foot hook shot
- 2nd Half55-36Dillan Shaw makes 2-foot floating jump shot
- 2nd Half55-38Luka Vudragovic makes layup (Yonatan Levy assists)
- 2nd Half57-38Liam Campbell makes 7-foot jumper
- 2nd Half57-40Javon Cooley makes driving layup (Yonatan Levy assists)
- 2nd Half59-40Paulius Murauskas makes driving layup
- 2nd Half61-40Paulius Murauskas makes 2-foot dunk (Dillan Shaw assists)
- 2nd Half61-42Javon Cooley makes layup (Yonatan Levy assists)
- 2nd Half63-42Andrew McKeever makes layup (Tony Duckett assists)
- 2nd Half65-42Andrew McKeever makes 2-foot dunk (Joshua Dent assists)
- 2nd Half66-42Tony Duckett makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half67-42Tony Duckett makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half67-44David Mager makes 11-foot floating jump shot
- 2nd Half67-45David Mager makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half70-45Cade Bennett makes 24-foot three pointer
- 2nd Half72-45Tony Duckett makes 14-foot pullup jump shot
Win probability
Above the line favours Pepperdine Waves, below favours Saint Mary's Gaels.
Venue
- Firestone FieldhouseMalibu, CA
- Attendance816
- OfficialsDeron White, Antinio Petty, James Duke
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