PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — In a West Coast Conference clash defined by offensive fireworks and a staggering disparity in styles, the Pepperdine Waves overcame a spectacular 35-point performance from Portland’s Joel Foxwell to secure a 95-87 victory over the Pilots on Wednesday night at the Chiles Center.

The game pitted Pepperdine’s lethal perimeter attack against Portland’s overwhelming interior dominance. The Waves, who entered with just seven wins, shot a blistering 16 for 28 from three-point range, a 57.1% clip that proved to be the ultimate difference-maker. Portland, by contrast, attempted only 18 threes, making eight, but punished Pepperdine inside, scoring 48 points in the paint and shooting an efficient 34 for 55 from the field overall.

Despite that efficiency, Pepperdine’s ability to generate extra possessions and capitalize from deep allowed them to control the tempo. The Waves forced 12 Portland turnovers, converting them into 21 points, and grabbed nine offensive rebounds to Portland’s four. This helped offset Portland’s advantages in field goal percentage and fast-break points.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded late in the second half. After leading by just two points at halftime, 45-43, Pepperdine saw its lead threatened repeatedly by Foxwell. The junior guard from Melbourne, Australia, was relentless, adding eight assists to his game-high 35 points. His driving layup with 4:08 remaining brought Portland within 83-81, capping a personal 8-2 run that energized the home crowd of 1,493.

Pepperdine, however, had an immediate and devastating answer. On the ensuing possession, guard Styles Phipps found Javon Cooley for a clutch three-pointer, pushing the lead back to five. After a Portland miss, Aaron Clark connected on a mid-range jumper. Then, following a Pilots turnover, Phipps assisted on another three-pointer, this time by Cooley again, with 4:23 to play. That 8-0 burst in just over a minute of game time expanded the lead to 91-81 and effectively sealed the outcome.

Phipps, Pepperdine’s sophomore point guard from Phoenix, was the catalyst, orchestrating the offense with 12 assists while adding 19 points. His backcourt partner, Aaron Clark, provided the primary scoring punch with a team-high 29 points, fueled by 7-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc. Javon Cooley contributed 21 points, and 7-foot center Stefan Cicic added 17 points, often serving as the finisher inside for Phipps’s playmaking.

Portland’s offensive effort was not limited to Foxwell. Center Jermaine Ballisager Webb, a 7-foot-1 sophomore from Denmark, scored 16 points, and Garrett Nuckolls facilitated with 11 points and seven assists. The Pilots’ inside game was potent, but they could not consistently counter Pepperdine’s three-point barrages or overcome their own mistakes at key moments.

The result was a mild upset, as Portland had been installed as a 7-point favorite by oddsmakers. The combined score of 182 points sailed over the pregame over/under line of 149.5, highlighting the offensive nature of the contest.

With the win, Pepperdine improved to 8-20 overall. The Waves snapped a two-game skid and will look to build momentum when they visit Oregon State on Saturday. Portland, which had won three of its last four, fell to 12-16. The Pilots will aim to regroup on the road at Seattle on Saturday.