MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Pepperdine defeated Bethesda (CA) 116-43 on Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game. The Waves improved to 2-1 with the non-divisional victory. Attendance was 570.

Pepperdine controlled play from the opening minute. Evan Haywood made a 3-pointer at 19:49 of the first half, and after Taeo Thomas made a pullup jump shot for Bethesda (CA), Will McClendon answered with a 3-point jump shot. Petar Majstorovic made a layup and added a free throw, and Jahari Williamson made a driving layup as the Waves built an early lead. Majstorovic made another driving layup to push Pepperdine ahead 13-2 with 15:30 remaining in the first half. Taeo Thomas made a layup for Bethesda (CA), but Youri Fritz answered with a layup. Allen Moser made a floating jump shot for Bethesda (CA), and Fritz made a free throw before Alex Constanza made a tip-in layup. Taeo Thomas scored on a layup and made a free throw, then added a dunk for Bethesda (CA). Pepperdine answered with a tip-in dunk by Anthony Robinson and a dunk by Majstorovic. Antonin Aix made a 3-pointer for Bethesda (CA), but Fritz made a free throw and a dunk, and after Allen Moser made two free throws, Jahari Williamson made a 3-pointer. Robinson made two free throws, Majstorovic made a driving layup and a free throw, and Robinson made a dunk. Robinson added two more free throws, and Haywood made a 3-point jump shot. Taeo Thomas made two free throws for Bethesda (CA), but David Mager made a 3-pointer, Majstorovic made a layup, and Oliver Kanden made a 3-point jump shot just before halftime. Pepperdine led comfortably at the break.

Pepperdine kept pulling away after halftime. Majstorovic opened the second half with a dunk, and after Aden Jones made a 3-pointer for Bethesda (CA), Williamson made a layup. Majstorovic made two free throws and then made a layup. Kanden made a free throw, Allen Moser made two free throws for Bethesda (CA), and Aden Jones made two free throws before Fritz made a layup. Constanza made a 3-pointer, Fritz made a tip-in layup, Haywood made a 3-pointer, and Kanden made a 3-pointer as the Waves stretched the lead. Fritz made another tip-in layup, and after Aden Jones made a turnaround jump shot for Bethesda (CA), Robinson finished an alley-oop and added a dunk. Williamson made a 3-point jump shot, and after Treveon Lee made a free throw for Bethesda (CA), Constanza made a layup. Robinson made two free throws, Kanden made a 3-pointer, and after Jordan Cabezas made a layup for Bethesda (CA), Mager made two free throws. Fritz made two free throws, and after Taeo Thomas made a free throw for Bethesda (CA), Oren Sahar made two free throws. Constanza made two free throws, Mager made a 3-pointer, and after Cabezas made a free throw for Bethesda (CA), Constanza made two free throws. Aden Jones made a 3-point jump shot for Bethesda (CA), but Mager made a tip-in layup and Constanza made a tip-in layup. Aden Jones made another 3-pointer for Bethesda (CA), and after Ethan Meuser made two free throws and a layup for Pepperdine, Remington Green made a free throw for Bethesda (CA). Allen Moser made a layup and a free throw, Colin Chou made a free throw for Pepperdine, Anto Balian made a 3-pointer, and Taeo Thomas made two free throws for Bethesda (CA). Oren Sahar made a layup and a free throw for Pepperdine to close the scoring.

Pepperdine finished with 116 points from 79 possessions, an offensive rating of 146.9. The Waves had 20 offensive rebounds, 10 assists, four blocks, 12 turnovers and 19 fouls. Pepperdine scored 48 points in the paint, 20 points off turnovers and 21 fastbreak points. Bethesda (CA) scored 12 points in the paint, 10 points off turnovers and two fastbreak points.

Alex Constanza led Pepperdine with 15 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes. The 6-foot-8 guard from Miami, Fla., who previously attended Spire Academy, was the top star for the Waves. Earlier this season, Constanza had 25 points, nine rebounds and one block in a one-point loss at Cornell, and he had five points, seven rebounds and six assists against La Sierra.

Youri Fritz, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward who previously attended Leidsche Rijn College, added 14 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes. Petar Majstorovic, a 6-foot-8 forward, had 18 points, four rebounds and one assist in 17 minutes. Anthony Robinson, a 6-foot-10, 238-pound forward who previously attended Christ School (N.C.), contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 17 minutes. Jahari Williamson, a 6-foot-1, 165-pound guard who previously attended Royal Crown Academy, had 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and one block in 22 minutes. David Mager, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard who previously attended Dwight-Englewood School, had 10 points, five rebounds and four assists in 17 minutes. Evan Haywood, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard who previously attended Brebeuf Jesuit, had nine points, four rebounds and two assists in 12 minutes. Oliver Kanden, a 6-foot-6 forward who previously attended International School, had 10 points, two rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes. Oren Sahar, a 6-foot-4 guard who previously attended International School, had five points, three rebounds and four assists in 14 minutes. Anto Balian, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard who previously attended Pilibos, had three points, five rebounds, three assists and one block in 19 minutes.

Pepperdine previously lost at Cornell and beat La Sierra at home this season. The Waves next are scheduled to visit Sam Houston. Their upcoming schedule also includes games against Oregon, UC Santa Barbara, UNC Greensboro, Cal State Bakersfield, Lehigh at Thousand Oaks, Calif., Abilene Christian, Florida Gulf Coast, Prairie View and Sacramento State.