Who’s PlayingIona @ PepperdineCurrent Records: Iona 8-4; Pepperdine 7-6What to KnowThe Pepperdine Waves and the Iona Gaels will compete for holiday cheer at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday at SimpliFI Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. These two teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous games. The George Washington Colonials typically have all the answers at home, but this past Friday Pepperdine proved too difficult a challenge. The stars were brightly shining for the Waves in an 81-70 win over George Washington. Forward Maxwell Lewis and forward Jevon Porter were among the main playmakers for Pepperdine as the former had 22 points and five assists and the latter dropped a double-double on 18 points and 14 rebounds. Meanwhile, the stars were brightly shining for Iona in an 83-72 victory over the Seattle Redhawks this past Friday. Iona’s success was spearheaded by the efforts of forward Nelly Junior Joseph, who had 26 points along with seven boards, and guard Daniss Jenkins, who had 19 points and eight assists. Pepperdine is expected to lose this next one by 7. Those who got lucky with them against the spread this past Friday might want to hold off on placing bets this time since the squad has yet to string together back-to-back wins against the spread. The Waves are now 7-6 while the Gaels sit at 8-4. A pair of numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: Pepperdine ranks 24th in college basketball when it comes to blocked shots per game, with 5.2 on average. But Iona is even better: they come into the game boasting the second most blocked shots per game in college basketball at 6.2. Points in the paint might be hard to come by. How To WatchWhen: Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ETWhere: SimpliFI Arena at Stan Sheriff Center — Honolulu, HawaiiTV: ESPN UniversityFollow: CBS Sports AppOddsThe Gaels are a solid 7-point favorite against the Waves, according to the latest college basketball odds.The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 7-point spread, and stayed right there.Over/Under: -110See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series HistoryThis is the first time these teams have played each other within the last seven years.