St. Mary’s (CA) didn’t leave much room for suspense Thursday night. The Gaels, carrying a 22-4 record and a recent run of WWWLW form, handled Pepperdine 88-60 on Feb. 12, 2026, extending the Waves’ skid and reinforcing the gap between a contender and a team searching for answers.
Pepperdine arrived at 6-20 and in LLLLL form, and the final score reflected exactly that: St. Mary’s controlled the game from start to finish, building separation and never letting the Waves find a path back into it.
Game flow: Gaels dictate terms
With no quarter-by-quarter breakdown available, the most telling data point is the final margin: St. Mary’s won by 28. In college basketball, that kind of spread typically comes from sustained execution — not just a hot stretch — and the Gaels delivered a wire-to-wire type of performance that kept Pepperdine chasing.
St. Mary’s 88 points set the tone for a comfortable night offensively, while holding Pepperdine to 60 ensured there was never a realistic comeback window. No overtime was needed, no late-game drama required — just consistent control.
Turning point: separation becomes a rout
In games like this, the inflection point is often when the favorite turns a manageable lead into a decisive one — the stretch where stops stack up, the pace gets dictated, and the underdog’s margin for error disappears. St. Mary’s got to that place and stayed there, turning the matchup into a one-way track meet on the scoreboard.
What it means going forward
St. Mary’s (22-4): businesslike, momentum intact
The Gaels’ form line (WWWLW) suggested a team already playing with consistency, and this result only reinforces it. An 88-point night paired with a 60-point defensive hold is the profile of a team that can win in multiple ways — and one that’s keeping its NCAA season trajectory pointed up.
Pepperdine (6-20): slide continues
For the Waves, the loss extends a difficult stretch (LLLLL form) and underscores the urgency to find stability. Giving up 88 while scoring 60 leaves little to build on from a results standpoint, and the record now reflects a season where margins have frequently been unforgiving.
Final
St. Mary’s (CA) 88, Pepperdine 60
Venue: TBD