Jan Zidek is a muscular, 6-foot-9, 240-pound Pepperdine sophomore forward who grew up in Prague. His father, Jiri, was a starter on UCLA’s 1995 NCAA championship team and became the first Czech drafted in the NBA.
Jan’s favorite NBA player is Klay Thompson and Saturday afternoon against USD, Zidek put on a performance reminiscent of the Golden State Warriors’ star. Zidek hit 8-of-10 3 pointers, finishing with a career-high 26 points as the Waves dealt USD a 90-84 loss in the final regular-season game for both teams.
Zidek came in averaging 8.6 points. He had made 25 treys in 19 games and was shooting a modest 32.5 percent behind the arc. But the Toreros were slow closing out on him and he made them pay, hitting shots in bunches.
One minute, 31 seconds into the game, Zidek came in off the bench. Fourteen seconds later he nailed his first 3. Seven minutes, 16 seconds into the game, he had buried four treys, from the top of the key, the wings and baseline.
Pepperdine would lead by 15 in the first half. When the Toreros cut the deficit to eight early in the second half, Zidek scored the Waves’ next three baskets, all from deep.
“Lights out,” said USD head coach Sam Scholl, describing Zidek’s performance. “If you give him too much space, don’t close out hard enough ... he made those shots.”
Zidek’s eight 3-pointers were the second most in Pepperdine history, eclipsed only by Damin Lopez’s nine in 1992. The most 3s in Division I this season are 10, held by four players.
USD’s defensive woes weren’t limited to stopping Zidek. The Waves (11-11, 7-6), hit 30 of 54 shots (55.6 percent), the second worst defensive field-goal effort of the season for USD (3-10, 2-7).
Of his team’s defensive play, Scholl said, “Obviously, it’s not where it needs to be to beat anybody in our league. Not the attention to detail, the aggressiveness, the controlling and finishing.”
Yauhen Massalski scored a career-high 30 points for USD on 14-of-16 shooting. He scored on pick and rolls, put-backs and with his back to the basket. His previous high was 19.
“He had a good scope to his game,” said Scholl.
USD is expected to play USF in the first round of the WCC tournament on Thursday in Las Vegas. USF would be the eighth seed with USD seeded ninth.
Norcross is a freelance writer.
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USD drops regular-season finale against Pepperdine - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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