Pepperdine converted a sizeable edge in free throw opportunities into an 82-68 win Thursday at Portland in the West Coast Conference opener for both schools. The Waves (9-5/1-0) made 24-of-32 free throw attempts in the game, 17 in the second half.

Portland’s Dustin Geddis led all players with a career-high 22 points and 18 rebounds, Casey Frandsen added 14 points, and Donald Wilson 11. The 18 rebounds from Geddis tied for 17th all-time at Portland. Geddis also had three blocks and two steals, moving him into a tie for eighth on Portland’s season blocks list (26).

Alex Acker led Pepperdine with 18 points, converting 11-of-12 free throw attempts. Robert Turner added 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench, Boomer Brazzle 15 points and nine rebounds, Mike Westphal 13 points, and Terrance Johnson 10 points.

While the Waves wore a path to the free throw line, Portland was just 10-of-11 at the stripe. Portland made only 39% of its field goal shots (26-66), while Pepperdine used a 52% second half for a 47% game figure.

The Pilots crawled within 41-37, but Brazzle scored six points in a 9-0 Pepperdine run which essentially did the Pilots in. A Geddis tipin closed the score to 52-43, but Acker followed a Johnson 3-pointer with five straight points for Pepperdine’s largest lead of the game – 60-43.

The Waves maintained the 17-point margin to 67-50 before Portland mounted a 16-7 surge, keyed by Karl Aaker’s three-point play, another Geddis tipin and two Frandsen free throws. Portland then trailed 74-66 with 1:43 left to play, before Pepperdine sealed the win with a parade to the free throw line. The Waves were 8-of-12 at the line in the final 1:43.

Three-pointers from Frandsen, Jeter and Aaker on successive possessions gave Portland a 15-11 lead early in the first half, and after Donald Wilson’s alley-oop dunk on the break from Jeter, the Pilots held a 17-11 lead on the frazzled Waves. After the two teams traded baskets, Pepperdine’s Jimmy Miggins picked up his third foul and went to the bench with 9:48 left in the half.

Pepperdine responded with a 12-6 run that didn’t end until Wilson hit a jumper at 4:00 – breaking a six-minute scoreless drought for the Pilots. The Pilots closed within 27-25 after Geddis and Quick hit jumpers, but the Waves answered with a 7-0 run for a 34-25 lead – getting three free throws from Acker, and a pair of Turner buckets.

A Geddis 3-pointer just before time expired closed the halftime score to 34-28. While the two teams shot an identical 12-of-28 from the field in the first 20 minutes, Pepperdine was 7-of-10 at the free throw line – Portland didn’t attempt a free throw.

Turner scored eight of his 17 points in the first half, and also had six rebounds; Westphal also scored eight points in the first half.

Portland was narrowly outrebounded (38-36), but tied a season-high with 22 turnovers.