Gonzaga-Pepperdine key matchup: Surging Houston Mallette averaging 20 points over last four games

MALIBU, Calif. – Even in a losing effort, a strong individual performance against an opponent of Gonzaga’s caliber has the ability to do wonders for a player’s self-confidence.

More than a month after having one such outing, Pepperdine’s Houston Mallette is still playing as if he has the ultimate belief in himself and his game.

Only a handful of players have scored 20 points against the Zags this season, but the freshman guard joined the club on Jan. 8 in Spokane, scoring a game-high 21 in a 117-83 loss to fourth-ranked Gonzaga. Although the Waves couldn’t match GU’s high-octane offense in the 34-point loss, Mallette made 50% of his shots from the field (6 of 12), connected on four 3-pointers (4 of 7) and didn’t miss a free throw (5 of 5).

Mallette’s confidence surged in the first game against GU, but it may be at an all-time high this week as Pepperdine prepares for its second game with the Bulldogs, who are now ranked No. 1 in the country. Two days after the freshman guard scored 23 points against San Francisco, he totaled a career-high 31 against BYU – outings that earned the Alameda, California, native West Coast Conference Freshman of the Week honors.

It may be a rare example of a player winning weekly WCC honors despite his team losing twice, but Mallette was more than deserving after making 17 of 23 (74%) from the field, 7 of 11 (63%) from the 3-point line and going 13 of 16 (81%) from the free-throw line. Mallette’s 31 points against BYU – the fourth most by a Pepperdine freshman in school history – came on 9-of-10 shooting inside the arc and 5 of 6 on 3s.

In the first Gonzaga-Pepperdine matchup, the Bulldogs stuck their bigger backcourt defenders on the 6-foot-5, 185-pound Mallette. Point guard Andrew Nembhard got the assignment early, but wing Julian Strawther took over at various points, usually when Nembhard went to the bench.