3-0 Aztecs Look to Quiet Pepperdine’s High-Powered Offense
SDSU picked up its third win of the season Wednesday, knocking off St. Katherine 81-43. It was an expected easy road to victory for the Aztecs before their matchup with Pepperdine this Sunday.
Jordan Schakel paced the offense with 16 points and transfer Terrell Gomez dropped 13 points while getting his first start as an Aztec in place of the injured Aguek Arop.
More than anything the contest against St. Katherine was an opportunity for head coach Brian Dutcher to get a look at more of his bench in game action. This included junior guard Adam Seiko and freshman guards Keith Dinwiddie Jr. and Lamont Butler. Dinwiddie Jr. made the most notable contribution of that bunch, going 4-8 from behind the arc en route to 12 points.
Keshad Johnson impressed for a second consecutive game finishing with nine points and five rebounds in his 19 minutes played.
It would not be surprising to see Dutch utilize his deep bench in the team’s bout versus Pepperdine. The Waves have seen early success with their 2-1 start against the same three opponents the Aztecs have faced.
SDSU got a look at Pepperdine during the multi-team event at Viejas last week. The Waves knocked off UC Irvine 86-72 and surprised many by taking UCLA to three overtimes though ultimately losing 107-98. And like SDSU, Pepperdine dismantled St. Katherine with ease 94-45 on Thursday.
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS!
While the three-overtime victory against UCLA and win against NAIA St. Katherine have inflated their points per game to 92.7, this team’s scoring ability should be respected.
Senior guard Colbey Ross leads the Waves offense and can score from anywhere on the floor. He’s averaging 24 points and is shooting 43.5% from three. Junior forward Kessler Edwards adds to the mix with 18.3 points per game and 6.3 rebounds. Pepperdine has five players averaging double figures in points.
The Wave’s scoring prowess will be met head on with the standard lockdown Aztec defense which has only allowed 52.3 points per game. This will certainly make for a compelling matchup.
