Sykes, Majstorovic Lead Long Beach State Past Pepperdine

Thursday, December 18

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

3-9,0-2Big West

Pepperdine

4-8,0-0WCC

Pepperdine

Long Beach St.

12/18/2025 10:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Sykes and Majstorovic both scored 20+ for the second straight game.

By: Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast

LONG BEACH, Calif. – In a back-and-forth battle with Pepperdine, Long Beach State came up with two critical defensive stops in the final minute to close out a 81-78 win at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.

In a contest that featured 17 lead changes and hot shooting from both teams, Pepperdine (4-8) shot 58.5% but Long Beach State (3-9) was as efficient, shooting 53.6% themselves and going 6-for-10 from three and 15-for-19 from the free throw line on the night.

Offensively, the Beach was led by freshman Gavin Sykes and sophomore Petar Majstorovic, as the pair combined to score at least 20 points each for the second straight game, but this time coming out with the victory. Sykes continued to keep his place among the nation's leading freshman scorers with 23 points, while Majstorovic added 20 with 6 rebounds and both finished with three assists. Pepperdine was led by Styles Phipps, who was close to a triple-double with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists to carry the Waves.

Pepperdine took their largest lead out of the gate, opening up a 10-4 lead early before pushing ahead by eight points at 14-6 behind a Javon Cooley jumper. Rob Diaz III helped the Beach stem the tide with a three, and the Beach would pull all the way back with a Shaquil Bender triple to tie the game at 25 with just over seven minutes left in the half.

Just before the end of the half, Long Beach State took their first lead on a Majstorovic paint touch, and trailed by just one at the break at 37-36. A thrilling second half followed, as Sykes and Phipps went punch-for-punch and neither team led by more than four for the entire second half.

Long Beach State claimed the lead for good as a Majstorovic floater was followed by a stop and a lay-in from Diaz to go up three. Phipps made just one of two free throws on the next trip down for the Waves, and Sykes nearly hit an and-one that would have sealed the game. Instead, the freshman buried two free throws to extend the lead back to three, and the Waves elected to take a quick two to cut the lead to 79-78.

Pepperdine would get an opportunity to take the lead with 15 seconds remaining after an LBSU miss, but while pushing in transition, a huge block from Bender ended up with Diaz, who put the Beach back up three from the line. The Beach then forced a final miss in the last possession of the game from the Waves to claim the 81-78 win.

Long Beach State will play a marquee opponent on the road at No. 4 Iowa State on Sunday, before closing out the calendar year and the non-conference schedule by hosting Lincoln on December 30.