Preview: San Diego Toreros at Pepperdine Waves

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Two West Coast Conference men’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Wednesday when the San Diego Toreros visit the Pepperdine Waves at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Both teams enter the Jan. 28 matchup struggling in conference play. San Diego (9-13 overall) has lost five of its last seven games. Pepperdine (6-16) has dropped eight of its last nine.

The Toreros will look to replicate their dominant performance from the teams’ first meeting this season, a 83-63 San Diego victory at home on Jan. 8. In that game, San Diego guard Adrian McIntyre scored 16 points in 28 minutes. McIntyre is coming off a 20-point performance in just 18 minutes in Saturday’s 85-73 home loss to Santa Clara.

Pepperdine’s hopes will rest heavily on guard Styles Phipps, who is averaging 20.4 points over his last five contests. Phipps scored 18 points with six assists in the first meeting against San Diego and is fresh off a 25-point, five-assist effort in a 95-79 loss at Washington State on Saturday.

Despite their records, both teams have shown recent flashes. San Diego earned a 96-92 win over Washington State on Jan. 21, while Pepperdine secured a 67-63 home victory over Portland on Jan. 14.

The game will be a key opportunity for both squads to build confidence before the final stretch of the conference schedule. San Diego’s defense, which held Pepperdine to 63 points earlier this month, will be tested by Phipps’s hot hand. For the Waves, improving on their 40.7% shooting from the first matchup will be critical.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST at Firestone Fieldhouse.