Wednesday, December 7
Malibu, Calif.
7:00 p.m. PT
Pepperdine University
vs
CSU Bakersfield
Becky Obinma
Photo by: Morgan Davenport
Women's Basketball Closes Out Non-Conference Play at Home
12/5/2022 1:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine women's basketball team will wrap up non-conference play, hosting CSU Bakersfield and UC Riverside before opening West Coast Conference play next weekend on the road.
GAME #9: Wednesday (Dec. 7) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine (3-5) vs. CSU Bakersfield (2-2) at 7 PM. BRING A TOY TO DONATE, GET FREE ADMISSION!
GAME #10: Sunday (Dec. 11) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine (3-5) vs. UC Riverside (2-5) at 2 PM.
COVERAGE: Both games will be live streamed on the WCC Network with Darren Preston on the call. 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.
TICKETS: Patrons must have an e-ticket prior to arriving on campus. Pepperdine students, staff and faculty just need their Pepperdine ID card for entry. Tickets can be found at pepperdinewaves.com/tickets.
SERIES VS. CSU BAKERSFIELD: The Waves have a 5-1 advantage all-time against CSU Bakersfield. Pepperdine's only loss to the Roadrunners was back in the 2008-09 season in Bakersfield. Last season, the Waves collected a 52-42 road victory over the Roadrunners.
SERIES VS. UC RIVERSIDE: Pepperdine has a 13-4 advantage all-time against UC Riverside, including a victory this season when the Waves and Highlanders faced off in the Great Alaska Shootout last month. Pepperdine defeated UC Riverside 67-58 in the consolation game and took home third place. Helena Friend helped spark the Waves off the bench with career highs in both points (12) and steals (two). Marly Walls and Meaali'i Amosa each had 13 points in the victory, while Ally Stedman also notched 12 points.
LAST WEEK: The Waves hosted Nebraska-Omaha for the first-ever meeting on Thursday, but fell short, 56-51, to the Mavericks. Theresa Grace Mbanefo collected her first double-double in a Pepperdine uniform with 20 points and 10 boards, also recording a block. Ally Stedman put up 12 points and had five rebounds, while Marly Walls had seven points and nine rebounds. On Saturday, Pepperdine bounced back into the win column and secured a 65-59 victory over Nebraska-Omaha in Firestone Fieldhouse. Mbanefo led the way again with 19 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Stedman contributed 17 points to go with three steals and three rebounds. Jane Nwaba tallied 11 points and brought down eight boards. Meaali'i Amosa was the leading rebounder with 11. It was the third double-digit rebound game for Amosa this season.
THIS YEAR: The Waves are led by sophomore Ally Stedman who averages 14.9 points per game, which ranks her seventh in scoring on the WCC leaderboard. She is also ranked 10th in assists per game with 2.6.
Theresa Grace Mbanefo is the second-leading scorer on the squad averaging 12.5 points per game, which is good for 13th in the WCC. Mbanefo leads the WCC in shooting percentage at 58.9%. She also ranks 15th in the WCC for rebounds per game with 5.6.
Marly Walls leads Pepperdine in assists with 4.5 per game, which is good for third in the WCC. She is averaging 10.8 points per game, which ranks 16th in the WCC. Walls is one of three top rebounders for the Waves, averaging 5.8 per game.
Meaali'i Amosa leads the Waves in rebounds with 7.0, which also ranks seventh on the WCC leaderboard. Amosa averages 6.0 points per game.
Jane Nwaba is the second-leading rebounder with 5.9 per game which ranks 11th in the WCC. She also dishes out 2.5 assists per game which is 12th in the WCC and third within the squad.
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, the team had six straight 20-win seasons including five seasons with at least 23 wins.
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 #9: Wednesday (Dec. 7) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine (3-5) vs. CSU Bakersfield (2-2) at 7 PM. BRING A TOY TO DONATE, GET FREE ADMISSION!
GAME #10: Sunday (Dec. 11) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine (3-5) vs. UC Riverside (2-5) at 2 PM.
COVERAGE: Both games will be live streamed on the WCC Network with Darren Preston on the call. 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.
TICKETS: Patrons must have an e-ticket prior to arriving on campus. Pepperdine students, staff and faculty just need their Pepperdine ID card for entry. Tickets can be found at pepperdinewaves.com/tickets.
SERIES VS. CSU BAKERSFIELD: The Waves have a 5-1 advantage all-time against CSU Bakersfield. Pepperdine's only loss to the Roadrunners was back in the 2008-09 season in Bakersfield. Last season, the Waves collected a 52-42 road victory over the Roadrunners.
SERIES VS. UC RIVERSIDE: Pepperdine has a 13-4 advantage all-time against UC Riverside, including a victory this season when the Waves and Highlanders faced off in the Great Alaska Shootout last month. Pepperdine defeated UC Riverside 67-58 in the consolation game and took home third place. Helena Friend helped spark the Waves off the bench with career highs in both points (12) and steals (two). Marly Walls and Meaali'i Amosa each had 13 points in the victory, while Ally Stedman also notched 12 points.
LAST WEEK: The Waves hosted Nebraska-Omaha for the first-ever meeting on Thursday, but fell short, 56-51, to the Mavericks. Theresa Grace Mbanefo collected her first double-double in a Pepperdine uniform with 20 points and 10 boards, also recording a block. Ally Stedman put up 12 points and had five rebounds, while Marly Walls had seven points and nine rebounds. On Saturday, Pepperdine bounced back into the win column and secured a 65-59 victory over Nebraska-Omaha in Firestone Fieldhouse. Mbanefo led the way again with 19 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Stedman contributed 17 points to go with three steals and three rebounds. Jane Nwaba tallied 11 points and brought down eight boards. Meaali'i Amosa was the leading rebounder with 11. It was the third double-digit rebound game for Amosa this season.
THIS YEAR: The Waves are led by sophomore Ally Stedman who averages 14.9 points per game, which ranks her seventh in scoring on the WCC leaderboard. She is also ranked 10th in assists per game with 2.6.
Theresa Grace Mbanefo is the second-leading scorer on the squad averaging 12.5 points per game, which is good for 13th in the WCC. Mbanefo leads the WCC in shooting percentage at 58.9%. She also ranks 15th in the WCC for rebounds per game with 5.6.
Marly Walls leads Pepperdine in assists with 4.5 per game, which is good for third in the WCC. She is averaging 10.8 points per game, which ranks 16th in the WCC. Walls is one of three top rebounders for the Waves, averaging 5.8 per game.
Meaali'i Amosa leads the Waves in rebounds with 7.0, which also ranks seventh on the WCC leaderboard. Amosa averages 6.0 points per game.
Jane Nwaba is the second-leading rebounder with 5.9 per game which ranks 11th in the WCC. She also dishes out 2.5 assists per game which is 12th in the WCC and third within the squad.
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, the team had six straight 20-win seasons including five seasons with at least 23 wins.
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.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
