Pepperdine visits Portland in WCC play after Aaron Clark’s 33-point performance against LMU

Game context and recent form

Pepperdine is set to play at Portland in a West Coast Conference matchup Wednesday night, with tipoff scheduled for 10 p.m. Eastern. The game follows a high-scoring Pepperdine win over Loyola Marymount in which guard Aaron Clark produced a career-high 33 points in a 90–89 result decided in the final seconds.

Entering the contest, Pepperdine is 7–20 overall and 2–12 in conference play. Portland comes in at 12–15 overall and 5–9 in WCC games. The matchup will be the teams’ first meeting in WCC play this season.

What the numbers indicate

Portland has been strongest at home this season, compiling an 11–5 record on its home floor. Offensively, the Pilots have averaged 75.3 points per game while shooting 46.3% from the field.

Pepperdine has struggled to convert close efforts into wins in league play, and has been outpaced defensively in recent games. Over its last 10 contests, Pepperdine has averaged 70.7 points while allowing 84.9, with a team field-goal rate of 41.6% during that stretch.

Matchup metrics suggest two areas that could influence the outcome: Portland’s perimeter defense, and Pepperdine’s three-point production. Pepperdine averages 6.8 made three-pointers per game, while Portland has allowed 10.0 made threes per game.

Key players

Clark has been Pepperdine’s primary scoring option and enters the game averaging 14.6 points per contest. His 33-point outing against Loyola Marymount featured five made three-pointers and helped reverse a late deficit. Against LMU, Pepperdine’s decisive play came on a late putback dunk by reserve forward Stefan Cicic.

For Portland, guard Joel Foxwell has led the offense, averaging 15.1 points per game while shooting 39.9%. Over Portland’s last 10 games, forward James O’Donnell has averaged 12.4 points.

Trends to watch Wednesday night

• Portland at home: The Pilots’ 11–5 home record has been a central factor in their overall results.

• Pepperdine late-game execution: Pepperdine closed its last outing with a 9–0 finishing run, including a game-winning basket in the final seconds.

• Perimeter scoring and defense: Pepperdine’s ability to generate threes faces a Portland defense that has allowed high three-point volume.

Wednesday’s matchup pairs Portland’s home-court strength with a Pepperdine team led by a guard coming off one of the conference’s highest single-game scoring lines this season.