Game Notes

THIS WEEK FOR THE WAVES: The Pepperdine women's basketball team opens West Coast Conference play this week, facing Gonzaga and Portland at home in Firestone Fieldhouse.

GAME #12: Monday (December 21) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine (4-7, 0-0) vs. Gonzaga (8-4, 0-0) at 7 p.m. (PT).

GAME #13: Wednesday (December 23) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine (4-7, 0-0) vs. Portland (2-8, 0-0) at 2 p.m. (PT).

COVERAGE: Both of the Waves' games will be broadcast live on WaveCasts via TheW.tv. Links to live stats are also available at PepperdineSports.com.

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: Waves Hoops / Twitter: @WavesHoops

COMPETING WITH PURPOSE BLOG: Pepperdine is providing more insider content to its fans this season via the Competing With Purpose blog, which can be accessed at www.pepperdinesports.com.

LAST WEEK: The Waves played a pair of games on the road last week, splitting their contests to go 1-1. Pepperdine picked up its first road win of the season in a thriller at CSU Bakersfield, getting a last-second steal by Olivia Ogwumike and then three-point play from Allie Green to score a 76-73 win. The Waves then suffered a 60-52 loss on a cold-shooting night in New Mexico.

HOME SWEET HOME: Pepperdine holds a 3-1 record at home through its non-conference season. The team is averaging 65.75 points per game at home and 72 ppg in its three home wins this year, both well above the team's season average of 61.8 ppg. Pepperdine has its lone 80-point game this season at home in an 81-75 win over Cal State Fullerton.

LEADING FROSH: Pepperdine's leading scorer is freshman sensation Erica Ogwumike, who is currently pacing the Waves with 16.4 points per game. Ogwumike also leads the team with 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest.

THE ROSTER: The Waves return eight letterwinners from and bring in seven newcomers. It is the largest incoming class of head coach Ryan Weisenberg's tenure. Pepperdine lost three seniors from last year's squad, graduating leading scorer Bria Richardson and leading rebounder Ea Shoushtari. The Waves also lost Tessa Emerson from the post. The team now has three seniors (one red-shirt junior), two juniors, three sophomores and the seven freshmen.

A LOOK AT THE WAVES: Now in his third season at the helm, head coach Ryan Weisenberg and the Pepperdine women's basketball staff look to cash in on some of their rebuilding efforts with a new-look Waves team this season. Pepperdine has increased its win total each season under Weisenberg and now brings in a talented group of seven newcomers to help the program make another jump this year.

The Waves bring back three starters from last year's team, including second leading scorer Keitra Wallace, who put up 12.8 points per game as a junior last season. Former WCC All-Freshman team honoree Allie Green (11.8 ppg) also returns for the Waves, along with sophomore Olivia Ogwumike, who made the WCC's All-Freshman team last year.

Pepperdine brings in six players who earned All-State honors during their prep careers, including ESPN Top 100 recruit Erica Ogwumike, in what is the largest recruiting class during Weisenberg's tenure.

NON-CONFERENCE SLATE: Pepperdine has 11 non-conference games on the schedule before starting West Coast Conference play against Gonzaga on Dec. 21. Five of the team's first six games are on the road and seven of their 11 non-conference contests are away from the friendly confines of Malibu. After the New York/Las Vegas road trip, Pepperdine also travels to Anchorage, Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout and will play at Cal State Bakersfield and New Mexico. The Waves' home-opener will be on Nov. 20 against Cal State Fullerton. Pepperdine also hosts UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly and Denver in three consecutive games.

NEW STAFF: The Waves brought in three new assistant coaches this season after last year's assistants moved onto other opportunities, including a head coaching job for former assistant Tricia Raniewicz.

Darron Larsen comes to Pepperdine after coaching with Weisenberg in New Zealand and also serving as a head coach following Weisenberg for the Manawatu Jets.

Lacey Burns comes to Pepperdine after a very successful stint as a prep head coach at San Clemente High School and tenures at both Vanguard and Cal Poly Pomona in the collegiate ranks.

Josh Pace is coming off a 10-year professional playing career both in the U.S. and abroad. Pace was a collegiate standout at Syracuse as well, winning an NCAA Championship with the Orange under head coach Jim Boeheim in 2003.

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.

RULE CHANGES: NCAA women's basketball has adopted several new rule changes for the 2015-16 season. Here are some of the notable changes:

• Games will consist of four 10-minute quarters instead of the two 20-minute halves.
• There will be one media timeout per quarter and teams will have four timeouts per game (one full, three :30).
• Teams will be able to advance the ball in the final minute of a game.

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.