New Orleans quickly fell behind by 16 points and spent the rest of the night trying to recover. They got as close as one point late in the second half but couldn't quite break through, as the Waves' dependable free throw shooting carried them through the endgame to a victory.
Panagiotis Pagonis co-led the Privateers with 17 points. Coleton Benson, after being shut down in the first half, found his stroke and also ended up with 17 points. Jay Buckley added 15.
UNO hit 12 three-pointers and outrebounded the Waves 40-35, but the game was decided by the lopsided turnover margin; UNO had 17 to Pepperdine's 6, and the Waves scored 22 points off turnovers.
New Orleans will stay on the West Coast and take on Fresno State on Friday night.