MALIBU, Calif. (AP) -- Yakhouba Diawara scored 23 points,
including 17 in the second half, as Pepperdine overcame a late
deficit to beat Portland, 72-66 Saturday night.
Portland (15-11, 4-7 West Coast Conference) opened the second
half with a 9-0 run to take a 42-35 lead with 17:19 left, but made
just one basket over the final 4:55 of the game.Pepperdine closed with a 19-4 run over the last 6:57 for the
victory.Darren Cooper finished with a career-high 21 points for
Portland, going 6-for-9 from the field with all of his attempts
coming from 3-point range.Pepperdine's seven-foot freshman center Russell Hicks finished
with a career-high 14 points and eight blocks.Pepperdine (14-12, 4-7) took its first lead since a two-point
halftime edge on Glen McGowan's 3-pointer with 4:22 left, giving
the Waves a 65-64 lead.McGowan was just 3-for-12 before making the 3-pointer, though he
later added a pair of free throws and finished with 14 points.Portland missed its last eight shots of the game, including four
3-point attempts on the game's final possession.
