RIVERSIDE, California – The Pepperdine women's basketball team fell short to California Baptist 63-57 on Thursday afternoon in the CBU Events Center.
 
The Waves (3-4) turned it up in the fourth quarter, battling back from a 14-point deficit to make it a one-point game in the final minute, but unfortunately the Lancers (5-1) scored the game's final five points.
 
BIG WAVES

• Redshirt junior forward Becky Obimna (Menifee, Calif./Rosary Academy/Texas Christian) had 14 points, shooting 6-for-11, while bringing down eight rebounds and adding a career-high six blocked shots.
• Freshman guard Ally Stedman (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS) had 11 points, while adding two assists and one steal.
• Redshirt junior guard Jayla Ruffus-Milner (North Hills, Calif./Harvard Westlake HS) had nine points shooting 3-for-6, and brought down eight rebounds.
• Sophomore forward Kendyl Carson (Juneau, Alaska/Juneau Douglas HS) had eight points, while adding three assists, a career-high seven rebounds and two steals. 

GAME RECAP
 
The Waves took their only lead of the game at 1-0 on a Jayla Ruffus-Milner free throw, as California Baptist then went on an eight-point scoring run. The Waves tied it after a three-pointer by Stedman and a lay-up by Obinma, but CBU went ahead 15-10 after the first quarter, and then 37-28 at halftime.
 
The Lancers started out with a five-point scoring to take a double-digit lead at 42-28. The Waves got as close as seven points a couple of times at 44-37 after an Obinma basket and at 48-41 after two Obinma free throws, but CBU took a 50-41 lead into the final quarter.
 
To start the fourth quarter, CBU had another five-point scoring run to make it 55-41 and then it was a tidal wave in Riverside. The Waves went on a 10-point scoring run to get within four at 55-51. The Lancers hit a shot from long range, but another six-point run for the Waves, with four of them from Obinma, had the game within one point at 58-57 with 47 seconds left. CBU hit a three-pointer late on the shot clock to go up by four at 61-57 with 14 seconds left, then iced the game with two free throws after Pepperdine turned the ball over.

STATS

• Pepperdine had an overall shooting percentage of 33.3%
• The Waves had 38 points in the paint compared to the Lancers' 34.
• Pepperdine had a season-high eight blocked shots.
• The Waves had 14 points off of 14 forced turnovers. 

UP NEXT
 
The Waves will have a week break before heading to the Pacific Northwest in order to visit Portland State for a non-conference matchup on Friday, December 10. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.