Waves Host Pacific, Saint Mary's This Week
1/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
THIS WEEK FOR THE WAVES: The Pepperdine women's basketball team plays at home this week with a pair of WCC contests in Malibu. The Waves host Pacific on Thursday at 7 p.m., then welcome Saint Mary's to Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday for a 12 p.m. game. The week ends a four-game homestand for Pepperdine.
COVERAGE: Both games will be broadcast live on WaveCasts. Links to live stats will be available on PepperdineSports.com. Follow @PeppWBKB on Twitter for updates as well.
TICKETS: Single-game tickets cost $8 for adults and $5 for alumni, children, seniors and students. Tickets are free for Pepperdine students, faculty and staff with a valid Pepperdine ID.
FOLLOW AND LIKE WAVES WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Be sure and join Pepperdine's growing communities on Facebook and Twitter. Follow and like the Waves today. Facebook: Pepperdine W Bball / Twitter: @PEPPWBKB
HOOPS EXTRA: Pepperdine is providing more insider content to its fans this season via the Hoops Extra basketball blog, which can be accessed at www.pepperdinesports.com/hoopsextra.
MOBILE APP: Pepperdine Athletics has launched a mobile app for iPad, iPhone and Android users. The app is free to download and features live scoring updates, news stories, on-demand video, photo galleries and much more. A subscription platform is also available to watch live video of home games. Go to your app store and search for "Pepperdine Athletics."
PROMOTIONS: On Saturday Waves fans will get $3 tickets at the window if they go follow @PeppWBKB on Twitter and show the promotional header either on their phones or print the image out. Also, all fans who attend the game on will be entered for a chance to win a 2014-15 signed women's basketball.
WCC STAT NOTES:
- · Bria Richardson 1st in steals (2.7 spg), Ea Shoushtari 8th (1.7 spg)
- · Richardson 7th in scoring (15.4 ppg), Wallace 12th (13.2), Green 13th (12.7)
- · Shoushtari 3rd in assists (3.8 apg), Richardson 7th (3.3 apg)
- · Shoushtari 11th in 3-point FG's made (1.5 per game), Green 15th (1.3)
- · Shoushtari 3rd in assist/turnover ratio (1.7), Richardson 7th (1.1)
- · Waves 3rd in free throw percentage (73.7%)
- · Waves 4th in turnover margin (+1.00))
- · Waves 5th in steals per game (8.0)
X-FACTOR: Keitra Wallace has been the X-factor in several of the Waves' wins this season. The junior forward has led the team in scoring in three of its six victories and has been the leading rebounder in three as well. In the Wave's wins this year Wallace has averaged 16.8 points per game, up from her 13.0 ppg overall. She leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per win and is shooting 51.4 percent in victories.
CONFERENCE PLAY: Since starting conference play the Waves have upped their scoring 9.4 points per game to 70.4 points per contest and have four players scoring in double figures. Bria Richardson is averaging 19.1 ppg to lead the team and Allie Green is averaging 15.1 ppg since the start of the WCC season.
WCC OPENER: Pepperdine opened WCC play with a thriller against crosstown rival LMU, coming back from 15 points down with six minutes to play to force overtime. The Waves won 98-91 in OT thanks to a career-high 30 points from Allie Green and a 29-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist, five-steal game from Bria Richardson.
SCHEDULE NOTES: The Pepperdine schedule features 11 non-conference games to go along with the full 18-game WCC slate. The Waves will play five national tournament participants during non-conference play (Nebraska, Iowa, Army, Cal State Northridge and Albany) as well as BYU and Gonzaga in WCC action. BYU made a Sweet 16 run last year, while Gonzaga was upset in the first round.
WALLACE CAREER DAY: Keitra Wallace had a career day against Northern Arizona on Dec. 16, pouring in a career-high 25 points to lead the Waves to a 66-63 win on the road. Wallace hit two late free throws in the game to help seal the win. Bria Richardson also contributed 13 points and a big late three.
RICHARDSON TAKES OVER: Earlier this season, Richardson took over the game at Cal Poly late, scoring 17 of her 29 points in the second half. She also posted a career-high nine steals in the game and had five assists as well. Richardson's nine steals matched the third best single-game total in Pepperdine history.
SENIOR GUARDS: Pepperdine returns the core of its starting lineup from last season including senior guards Bria Richardson and Ea Shoushtari. Richardson is coming off a breakout year that was derailed by a season-ending injury only a few weeks into conference play. The now-senior guard led the Waves in scoring last year and was at or near the top of the conference scoring list before she went down, putting up 16.9 points per game in 34.6 minutes per contest. Shoushtari took over the point guard duties for the second half of the year following Richardson's injury, scoring 12.0 points per game and showing her versatility by leading the team in rebounding with 6.7 boards per contest. A consistent outside threat, Shoushtari led the Waves with 59 three-pointers on the year, good for the fourth-best season total in Pepperdine history.
Ryan Weisenberg ERA: The start of the 2013-14 season marked the opening of the Ryan Weisenberg era at Pepperdine. Weisenberg has made stops on the professional, collegiate and prep level during his coaching tenure, most recently coaching the Manawatu Jets in the New Zealand National Basketball League. Weisenberg has also spent time on the staffs of the Los Angeles Lakers and Sparks, winning a total of five titles with the teams from 2000-05. He is the sixth coach in program history.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY: Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports - one of just 16 schools to have accomplished this feat - and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment and is the only school not affiliated with a BCS-level conference. The Waves have earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #57 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
