NASSAU, Bahamas -- Colbey Ross scored 23 points, Kameron Edwards added 16 and Pepperdine beat Towson 74-65 Friday night in the first round of the Island of the Bahamas Showcase.

Eric Cooper Jr. scored 13 points for the Waves (2-1), who shot 45 percent from the field to the Tigers' 39 percent and made 20 of 21 free throws.

Pepperdine advances to face Georgia Southern on Saturday night.

Towson's Jordan McNeil tied it at 42 with a jumper early in the second half, but Cooper hit a 3 amid a 6-0 run and Pepperdine took the lead and pulled ahead by as many as 11 points before the final buzzer.

Towson led 25-16 on Alex Thomas' jumper, but the Waves scored nine straight and led 33-29 after Edwards hit back-to-back 3-pointers. Edwards' jumper with 1:54 left in the first half put Pepperdine up 35-32 at halftime.

Nakye Sanders and Brian Fobbs scored 11 apiece for the Tigers (1-2), who face FAU on Saturday.