MALIBU, California – The Pepperdine women's basketball team dropped a home contest to Santa Clara 63-54 on Thursday night. 

The Waves (8-13, 4-8) and Broncos (13-11, 7-7) were nearly neck and neck in shooting at 37.5% to 39%. Pepperdine scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, but Santa Clara scored 18 to hold the lead and take home the win. 

BIG WAVES 

• Freshman Ally Stedman (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS) led the Waves with 19 points by shooting 8-for-13 with three three-pointers. She grabbed three rebounds and had three steals. 
• Redshirt junior Becky Obinma (Menifee, Calif./Rosary Academy/Texas Christian) had 10 points by shooting 5-for-10. 
• Senior Cheyenne Givens (Gardena, Calif./Serra HS/Los Angeles Trade-Tech) collected eight points. 
• Freshman Meaali'i Amosa (Garden Grove, Calif./Mater Dei HS) led Pepperdine in rebounds with eight. 

GAME RECAP 

Obinma made the first bucket of the game, but Santa Clara countered with a three-pointer. Stedman went back-to-back with one from long range and a jumper to give the Waves the lead at 7-3. Santa Clara tied the game at 7-7, but Stedman hit another three and gave Pepperdine the lead back at 9-7. Another three-pointer by Stedman put the Waves up at 12-10, but the Broncos closed out the first quarter on a 13-point scoring run. 

In the second quarter, Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif./ Palisades Charter HS) and Stedman scored the first two baskets to cut the margin to seven at 23-16. Amosa and Nwaba hit back-to-back shots to get the Waves within six at 26-20. Pepperdine and Santa Clara went back and forth with two minutes left in the quarter, but the Broncos hit one from long range to go into the half leading 31-22. 

After the break, Stedman scored the first basket, but five straight points for the Broncos put them up 36-24. Pepperdine would collect a basket, but Santa Clara would answer back and score two more. The Broncos made two from the charity line to go into the final 10 leading 45-33.

The Waves tried to start the comeback with back-to-back layups by Obinma, but the Broncos continued to extend the lead at 48-37. Santa Clara went up by 12 at 51-39, but a six-point scoring run from Pepperdine decreased the margin to eight at 53-45. Malia Bambrick (Santa Clarita, Calif./Bishop Alemany HS) made one from long range and Givens followed it up with one of her own to get the Waves only within five at 59-54. Santa Clara made four free throws to close out the game and collect the win. 

STATS 

• Santa Clara out-rebounded Pepperdine 42-36.
• The Broncos forced 15 turnovers compared to the Waves' 14. 
• Pepperdine had a better shooting percentage at halftime compared to Santa Clara at 38.9% to 34.4%. 

UP NEXT 

The Waves will play their final home game on Saturday, Feb. 19 hosting San Francisco for Senior Day. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed on the WCC Network.