Pepperdine has scored a total of 91 points in two games against the Gaels. Saint Mary’s has an elite defense, 11th in the country, and while the Waves have had a nice run in the conference tournament, points should be hard to come by tonight. Pepperdine wants an up-tempo game, but the Gaels will control the pace of this one. The Waves are shooting over 60% inside the arc in their last three games but Saint Mary’s holds their opponents to under 46% shooting in that area. Both games this season didn’t reach 125 points.

Pepperdine is on a heater in the WCC tournament, but have the Waves closed the yawning gap enough to cover? St. Mary's walloped them by 30 and 24 points in the regular season. The Gaels, who have yet to hit the tournament floor, might need time to shed rust. Ultimately, their rest will prove a benefit over the weary Waves. This is Pepperdine's fourth outing in as many days. In Sunday's upset of Santa Clara, the Waves deployed just seven players, with three starters going 38 or 39 minutes. Analytics site kenpom.com puts St. Mary's as the nation's 11th best defense, miles ahead of Pepperdine at 256th. Another blowout looms.