MALIBU, California – The Pepperdine women's basketball team couldn't hold a slim fourth-quarter lead as Cal State Fullerton rallied for a 68-63 win inside Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday night.
Pepperdine (2-3) led for 28:32 but was unable to keep the Titans (3-3) off the board in the fourth, as a 14-4 Titan run to open the final frame proved costly for the Waves.
BIG WAVES
- Senior guard Malia Bambrick (Santa Clarita, Calif./Bishop Alemany HS) had a season-high 21 points, including 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.
- Redshirt junior forward Eve Braslis (Newton, Victoria, Australia) had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds.
- Redshirt junior forward Becky Obinma (Menifee, Calif./Rosary Academy/TCU) tallied 12 points and seven rebounds.
- Sophomore forward Kendyl Carson (Juneau, Alaska/Juneau Douglas HS) had five assists and five rebounds to go along with two points.
- Sophomore forward Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif./Palisades Charter HS) recorded six points and five rebounds, with three rebounds being offensive.
GAME RECAP
The teams traded baskets early in the first, with Pepperdine grabbing an early 11-8 lead at the first media timeout thanks to a balanced scoring attack with
Ally Stedman (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS), Bambrick and Obinma finding the bottom of the net. Pepperdine's largest lead of the quarter was eight on multiple occasions and was able to close out the quarter, 22-14, with a defensive stop. Both teams shot at least 50% throughout the quarter.
Fullerton opened the second with a three on its first possession cutting Pepperdine's lead to five at 22-17. Following a
Cheyenne Givens (Gardena, Calif./Serra HS) free throw, the Waves forced a 10-second call on the ensuing inbound and opened up an eight-point lead thanks to a Nwaba jumper from the corner. Midway through the quarter, Pepperdine held Fullerton scoreless for over two minutes before a jumper cut Pepperdine's lead to six at 27-21. After Fullerton pulled within three, 29-26, Bambrick made a layup plus the foul to once again give Pepperdine a six-point cushion. The Waves held for the final shot of the half, but turned the ball over and held Fullerton on the other end to head into the break with a 36-31 lead.
Both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net at the beginning of the third quarter, but the Waves were able to take their biggest leads of the game, two nine-point leads at 42-33 and 44-35. Nwaba ended a 6-0 Titan run with a bucket to give Pepperdine a 46-41 lead, and Braslis added a jumper on the next possession to open up a seven-point lead before Fullerton answered with a jumper of their own. The Waves' final possession of the period ended without a shot after a successful three on the other end, making it a one-score game at 50-47 heading into the final frame.
After the Waves scored the first basket of the fourth quarter, the Titans went on a 14-2 run to take a 61-54 lead, prompting a Pepperdine timeout with 6:26 remaining in the game. Following the timeout, the teams traded baskets before a Bambrick three-pointer cut Fullerton's lead to four at 63-59. The Titans had an answer for the Waves at every turn of the fourth, never allowing Pepperdine to get closer than three points. Obinma made a layup with 10.5 seconds remaining in the game to make it a 66-63 Titan lead, but Fullerton was able to close the game out with free throws. Fullerton shot 66.7% from the floor in the final stanza, while holding the Waves to just 30.0% shooting.
STATS
- In the critical fourth quarter, the Waves were outscored 21-13 after taking a three-point lead into the fourth.
- Pepperdine outscored Fullerton 23-10 in points off turnovers.
- The Waves' bench was outscored 30-19 by the Titans.
- Fullerton shot 45.0% from the field, while holding Pepperdine to a 38.2 field goal percentage throughout the night.
- Pepperdine shot just 4-for-20 from behind the arc (20.0%).
UP NEXT
Pepperdine hits the road for two games, visiting CSU Bakersfield first on Tuesday (Nov. 30). The game is set to start at 7 p.m.
