Dec. 21, 2005
Final Stats
LONG BEACH, Calif. - With just 11.8 seconds remaining in Wednesday night's non-conference women's basketball match up between Pepperdine and Long Beach State, Shannon Johnson made true on the second of two free throw attempts to preserve an apparent Wave's victory. But Karina Figueroa hit a running jumper in the lane with four ticks remaining on the clock to send the game to overtime at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif.
In the five-minute overtime, Pepperdine (3-8) held the 49ers (6-4) to zero points for the first four minutes en route to a 63-59 lead. A 4-1 LBSU run over the next 44 seconds pulled the score to 64-63. Taylor Smith hit the back end of two free throws to put Pepperdine up, 65-63, and again Figueroa hit a running jumper in the lane, this time with 2.4 on the clock as the game headed into double overtime.
Long Beach State was able to build a five-point edge, 72-67, as Pepperdine began to get into foul trouble. But Daphanie Kennedy's second basket of the night closed the gap to three, 72-69. The Waves held on the ensuing position, but Lauren Wenski missed on consecutive free throws and LBSU hit on a three-point try for a 75-69 lead. The lead would reach seven, 77-70, as the 49ers pulled out the 81-75 victory.
George led the Waves with 16 points on the night. Clarendon was second on the team with 14 points, including seven in the two overtimes, while Jessica Ross chipped in with 13, Smith added 12 and Nakeya Isabell ended the night with 10. George completed her first double-double of the year by adding 12 rebounds.
Despite out shooting LBSU, 36.3 to 34.8, Pepperdine hit just 54.2 percent from the free throw line including several down the stretch and in the overtime periods.
LBSU was led by Crystal McCutcheon's 24 points as three 49ers topped the 20-point mark. Fernanda Santos dropped in 23 and Figueroa added 20, including the game-extending points at the end of regulation and the first overtime. Jayme Connors pulled down 21 rebounds for the 49ers.
A back-and-forth battle followed the halftime break, with both teams fighting to finally take control of what was a physical battle throughout the night. With just over six minutes expired in the second stanza, LBSU committed turnovers on four of five possessions and Pepperdine made the most of its chances by building up as much as a (six-point) lead, 46-40 with just 7:48 remaining in the contest.
Following a 49er basket which cut the Wave's lead to just five, 46-42, Isabell buried a three-point attempt from the far corner. The 22nd Long Beach State turnover of the night, resulted in a fast-break lay up for George as Pepperdine enjoyed a 51-42 advantage with under five minutes to play.
After scoring just four points through the first eight-plus minutes, Pepperdine used a 10-1 run over the next four minutes to take a 14-11 lead midway through the first half. Long Beach State committed four turnovers during the Wave's run, resulting in six points for the road team. In the opening 20 minutes of play, Pepperdine converted 14 49er turnovers into 13 of its 24 points.
Long Beach State led by two, 26-24 at the half.
The Waves will take a few days off before playing the second game of their current five-game road swing in Lawrence, Kan., on Dec. 28. Pepperdine will face the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CT).
