MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — In a West Coast Conference thriller defined by offensive fireworks and a frantic final sequence, Aaron Clark’s 33-point performance and a last-second putback by Stefan Cicic lifted Pepperdine to a 90-89 victory over Loyola Marymount on Saturday night at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The Waves, who entered the game with just six wins, snapped a three-game skid and improved to 7-20 overall by outlasting the Lions in a game that featured 18 lead changes and neither team leading by more than six points. Loyola Marymount fell to 13-15.

The contest was a stark departure from defensive-minded conference play, as both teams eclipsed 124 points per 100 possessions. The Lions shot 52% from the field in a blistering first half, taking a 56-54 lead into the break behind 17 points from Myron Amey. Pepperdine kept pace behind Clark, who had 20 of his game-high 33 before halftime.

The second half was a tense, back-and-forth affair. Loyola Marymount’s Joshua Dalton hit a 3-pointer with 4:30 remaining to tie the game at 78. Pepperdine responded with a 7-0 run, capped by a Danilo Dozic 3-pointer, to take an 85-78 lead with 3:47 left.

The Lions clawed back. A driving layup by Jan Vide and a stepback jumper from Amey cut the deficit to 85-82. After Pepperdine’s Cicic converted an alley-oop, Amey answered again to make it 87-84. Following a Pepperdine turnover, Vide was fouled on a layup attempt and made one of two free throws, bringing LMU within two with 1:42 to play.

Clark, the sophomore from Easton, Pennsylvania, appeared to seal it for the Waves, draining a deep 3-pointer from the wing to push the lead to 90-87 with just 1:01 on the clock. But Amey, who finished with 25 points, drove for a layup eight seconds later to cut it to 90-89.

After a Pepperdine timeout, Clark drove the lane but missed a contested layup. Cicic, the 7-foot freshman, soared for the offensive rebound and tipped it in with 0.8 seconds remaining to restore the three-point lead. Loyola Marymount’s final desperation heave from Amey was off the mark as time expired.

The most critical sequence of the game was that final possession. With Pepperdine clinging to a one-point lead and the shot clock off, Clark’s aggressive drive forced the Lions’ defense to collapse. His miss was cleaned up decisively by Cicic, whose only basket of the second half provided the final margin and negated Loyola Marymount’s chance for a potential game-winning shot.

Clark’s 33 points came on 10-of-18 shooting, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range, and he added seven rebounds. Dozic supported him with 16 points, while Cicic finished with 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Styles Phipps orchestrated the Pepperdine offense with seven assists.

Amey led a balanced Loyola Marymount attack. Vide scored 17 points and dished five assists, Dalton added 15 points, and Rodney Brown scored 12. Rokas Jocius controlled the glass with 11 rebounds for the Lions.

Despite the loss, Loyola Marymount won several statistical battles, recording eight assists and eight steals to Pepperdine’s two in each category, and committing only seven turnovers. However, Pepperdine’s superior efficiency from deep (10 of 18) and the free-throw line (18 of 25) proved decisive in the one-point outcome.

A crowd of 699 witnessed the highest-scoring game of the season for both teams, with the combined 179 points sailing over the pregame over/under line of 143.5. The result was an upset according to pregame metrics, which gave the Lions, who were 5.5-point favorites, nearly a 70% chance to win.

Pepperdine travels to face Portland on Wednesday. Loyola Marymount continues its road trip at San Diego next Saturday.