Saturday, December 17
Santa Clara, Calif.
2:00 p.m. PT
Pepperdine University
at
Santa Clara
Marly Walls
Photo by: Charlie Blake
Waves Open West Coast Conference Play in Bay Area
12/15/2022 3:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine women's basketball team will open up West Coast Conference play by taking a trip to the Bay Area to compete against Santa Clara and San Francisco.
GAME #11: Saturday (Dec. 17) at Leavey Center in Santa Clara, Calif.: Pepperdine (5-5, 0-0) at Santa Clara (9-4, 0-0) at 2 PM.
GAME #12: Monday (Dec. 19) at War Memorial Gym at The Sobrato Center in San Francisco, Calif.: Pepperdine (5-5, 0-0) at San Francisco (9-2, 0-0) at 2 PM.
COVERAGE: Links to live stats and broadcasts will be available on the women's basketball schedule page on PepperdineWaves.com. Fans can also follow @WavesHoops on Twitter for live, in-game updates.
SERIES VS. SANTA CLARA: Santa Clara and Pepperdine have a close overall series, 42-41, with the Broncos having a one-game advantage. The Broncos currently have a four-game winning streak against the Waves.
SERIES VS. SAN FRANCISCO: The Dons hold the overall series lead at 44-41. Since the 2018-19 season, San Francisco and Pepperdine have faced off eight times, with each school having four wins.
NON-CONFERENCE: The Waves closed out the non-conference schedule with a 5-5 record heading into WCC play. Pepperdine averaged 65.6 points and had a .423 shooting percentage. The Waves outrebounded preseason opponents with 42.5 per game compared to 32.7.
LAST TIME OUT: In the non-conference finale on Dec. 11, Pepperdine defeated UC Riverside 65-51 in Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves took an early 13-8 lead over the Highlanders in the first quarter and never let up, outscoring the opposition in three of the four quarters. Ally Stedman drained a season-high 24 points shooting 10-for-15 and also had a career-high in blocks with four, while Rosemary Odebunmi had a career-high performance with seven points, nine rebounds and two assists.
THIS YEAR: Pepperdine ranks top five in three categories in the WCC including second in rebounds per game with 42.5. The Waves are ranked third in steals per game (8.0) and blocks per game (3.3).
The Waves have been led by sophomore Ally Stedman who averages 16.6 points per game, ranking her fourth in scoring on the WCC leaderboard.
Theresa Grace Mbanefo is the second-leading scorer on the squad averaging 12.3 points per game, which is good for 16th in the WCC. Mbanefo ranks fourth in the WCC in shooting percentage at 54.3%. She also ranks fifth in blocks per game (1.0) and 11th in rebounds per game (6.1).
Marly Walls leads Pepperdine in assists and ranks fourth in the WCC averaging 4.8 per game. She is one of three top rebounders for the Waves, averaging 5.7 per game, which is tied for 12th in the WCC. Walls is averaging 10.8 points per game.
Meaali'i Amosa leads the Waves in rebounds with 6.5 and ranks 10th on the WCC leaderboard. Amosa averages 5.9 per game.
Jane Nwaba is also one of three top rebounders and tied for 12th on the WCC leaderboard with 5.7 per game. Nwaba is averaging 9.6 points per game.
THE SQUAD: The Waves bring back eight returners and add six newcomers to the team. The returners include a redshirt senior (Obinma), two juniors (Carson and Jane Nwaba), a redshirt junior (Isabel Montoya), three sophomores (Amosa, Helena Friend and Stedman) and redshirt sophomore (Rosemary Odebumni). New to Malibu are graduate student transfers Theresa Grace Mbanefo and Marly Walls, and four true freshmen in KK Brodie, Drea Brumfield, Hailey Hoff and Hailey Johnson.
LAST YEAR: In her fourth year, Dowling led the Waves to a 8-17 overall record, including a 4-11 WCC record. The Waves fell in the opening round of the West Coast Conference Tournament 65-54 to Loyola Marymount.
AT THE HELM: Kristen Dowling is in her fourth season as Pepperdine's head women's basketball coach. During her first three seasons with the Waves, she had a record of 29-50. Her first year at the helm, she led the team to a 16-15 overall record, including an 8-10 WCC record. The team reached the semifinals of the 2020 WCC Tournament in Las Vegas before falling to San Diego. Prior to Pepperdine, Dowling was the leader of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' program for seven years. She led the Athenas to six straight SCIAC regular-season championships as well four SCIAC Tournament championships and four NCAA Division III Tournaments. Along the way, thåe team had six straight 20-win seasons including five seasons with at least 23 wins.
WCC PRESEASON TEAM/RANKINGS: The Waves were picked to finish 10th in the 2022-23 season. The entire poll is as follows: 1. Gonzaga, 2. Portland, 3. BYU, 4. San Francisco, 5. Saint Mary's, 6. San Diego, 7. Loyola Marymount, 8. Santa Clara, 9. Pacific, 10. Pepperdine.
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 20 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also 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 2021-22). Located in scenic Malibu, California, 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 #55 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
GAME #11: Saturday (Dec. 17) at Leavey Center in Santa Clara, Calif.: Pepperdine (5-5, 0-0) at Santa Clara (9-4, 0-0) at 2 PM.
GAME #12: Monday (Dec. 19) at War Memorial Gym at The Sobrato Center in San Francisco, Calif.: Pepperdine (5-5, 0-0) at San Francisco (9-2, 0-0) at 2 PM.
COVERAGE: Links to live stats and broadcasts will be available on the women's basketball schedule page on PepperdineWaves.com. Fans can also follow @WavesHoops on Twitter for live, in-game updates.
SERIES VS. SANTA CLARA: Santa Clara and Pepperdine have a close overall series, 42-41, with the Broncos having a one-game advantage. The Broncos currently have a four-game winning streak against the Waves.
SERIES VS. SAN FRANCISCO: The Dons hold the overall series lead at 44-41. Since the 2018-19 season, San Francisco and Pepperdine have faced off eight times, with each school having four wins.
NON-CONFERENCE: The Waves closed out the non-conference schedule with a 5-5 record heading into WCC play. Pepperdine averaged 65.6 points and had a .423 shooting percentage. The Waves outrebounded preseason opponents with 42.5 per game compared to 32.7.
LAST TIME OUT: In the non-conference finale on Dec. 11, Pepperdine defeated UC Riverside 65-51 in Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves took an early 13-8 lead over the Highlanders in the first quarter and never let up, outscoring the opposition in three of the four quarters. Ally Stedman drained a season-high 24 points shooting 10-for-15 and also had a career-high in blocks with four, while Rosemary Odebunmi had a career-high performance with seven points, nine rebounds and two assists.
THIS YEAR: Pepperdine ranks top five in three categories in the WCC including second in rebounds per game with 42.5. The Waves are ranked third in steals per game (8.0) and blocks per game (3.3).
The Waves have been led by sophomore Ally Stedman who averages 16.6 points per game, ranking her fourth in scoring on the WCC leaderboard.
Theresa Grace Mbanefo is the second-leading scorer on the squad averaging 12.3 points per game, which is good for 16th in the WCC. Mbanefo ranks fourth in the WCC in shooting percentage at 54.3%. She also ranks fifth in blocks per game (1.0) and 11th in rebounds per game (6.1).
Marly Walls leads Pepperdine in assists and ranks fourth in the WCC averaging 4.8 per game. She is one of three top rebounders for the Waves, averaging 5.7 per game, which is tied for 12th in the WCC. Walls is averaging 10.8 points per game.
Meaali'i Amosa leads the Waves in rebounds with 6.5 and ranks 10th on the WCC leaderboard. Amosa averages 5.9 per game.
Jane Nwaba is also one of three top rebounders and tied for 12th on the WCC leaderboard with 5.7 per game. Nwaba is averaging 9.6 points per game.
THE SQUAD: The Waves bring back eight returners and add six newcomers to the team. The returners include a redshirt senior (Obinma), two juniors (Carson and Jane Nwaba), a redshirt junior (Isabel Montoya), three sophomores (Amosa, Helena Friend and Stedman) and redshirt sophomore (Rosemary Odebumni). New to Malibu are graduate student transfers Theresa Grace Mbanefo and Marly Walls, and four true freshmen in KK Brodie, Drea Brumfield, Hailey Hoff and Hailey Johnson.
LAST YEAR: In her fourth year, Dowling led the Waves to a 8-17 overall record, including a 4-11 WCC record. The Waves fell in the opening round of the West Coast Conference Tournament 65-54 to Loyola Marymount.
AT THE HELM: Kristen Dowling is in her fourth season as Pepperdine's head women's basketball coach. During her first three seasons with the Waves, she had a record of 29-50. Her first year at the helm, she led the team to a 16-15 overall record, including an 8-10 WCC record. The team reached the semifinals of the 2020 WCC Tournament in Las Vegas before falling to San Diego. Prior to Pepperdine, Dowling was the leader of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' program for seven years. She led the Athenas to six straight SCIAC regular-season championships as well four SCIAC Tournament championships and four NCAA Division III Tournaments. Along the way, thåe team had six straight 20-win seasons including five seasons with at least 23 wins.
WCC PRESEASON TEAM/RANKINGS: The Waves were picked to finish 10th in the 2022-23 season. The entire poll is as follows: 1. Gonzaga, 2. Portland, 3. BYU, 4. San Francisco, 5. Saint Mary's, 6. San Diego, 7. Loyola Marymount, 8. Santa Clara, 9. Pacific, 10. Pepperdine.
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 20 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also 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 2021-22). Located in scenic Malibu, California, 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 #55 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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