SPOKANE, Wash. – Senior Daphanie Kennedy (Oakland, Calif. / Kearny HS) broke Pepperdine’s all-time steal record with her 184th career steal, in the Pepperdine women’s basketball team’s WCC opener against Gonzaga University. The Waves were defeated 68-56, at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash.

 

The nationally televised game began with a two point basket by Teiosha George (Palmdale, Calif. / Palmdale HS), followed by a ten point scoring run by Gonzaga (10-6, 1-0). The Waves (5-9, 0-1) got back in the game with the help of Freshman Katie Menton (Coarsegold, Calif. / Yosemite HS), who scored 12 points in the first half to become the period’s high scorer. Menton shot 5-10 from the field and 1-3 on three pointers in the first half .

 

 The Bulldogs ended the half with a three point lead in a period that saw the lead change three times and the score tie five times.

 

Pepperdine never regained the lead during the second half. Gonzaga opened up a six point lead with 9:37 left in the game. Junior Taylor Smith’s (Waialua, HI. / Kalaheo HS) basket, followed by two pointer and free shot by Kennedy brought the Waves within one point of the Zags (51-50) with 8:05 remaining. However, the Zags extended the lead to 11 points with  2:07 on the clock (63-52).

 

Fouls hurt Pepperdine the second half as Gonzaga scored 11 points on free-throws, seven in the final 2:07. The Waves out-shot the Zags from the field 41% to 39%. Pepperdine led in points outside the arc 25% to Gonzaga’s 15%, while the Zags led in free-throws 84% to the Waves 67%.

 

Menton was the Waves leading scorer with 15 points and four rebounds. George finished with 12 points and four rebounds, while sophomore Miranda Ayim (London, Ontario) had 11 rebounds and 8 points. Kennedy broke the all-time steal record with 13:54 remaining in the second half. The record was set in 2004 by Shandrika Lee with 183 career steals.

 

Next up for the Waves is University of Portland, Saturday Jan. 12, at 2 p.m., in Chiles Center in Portland, Oregon.