San Francisco Edges Pepperdine on Senior Day With Late Rally

Saturday, February 19

Malibu, Calif.

2:00 p.m. PT

Pepperdine University

8-14,4-9WCC

San Francisco

15-13,9-7WCC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
San Francisco	19	20	14	21	74
Pepperdine	17	18	19	12	66

Photo by: Charlie Blake

San Francisco Edges Pepperdine on Senior Day With Late Rally

2/19/2022 4:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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By: By Athletic Communications

MALIBU, California – Malia Bambrick and Cheyenne Givens of the Pepperdine women's basketball team combined for 31 points on their own Senior Day, but a furious rally late in the fourth quarter by San Francisco proved costly as the Dons edged the Waves, 74-66, on Saturday afternoon at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Pepperdine (8-14, 4-9 WCC) led 65-62 with 4:14 remaining in the game after a jumper by freshman Ally Stedman (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS), but San Francisco (15-13, 9-7 WCC) finished the game on a 12-1 run to claim the victory.

BIG WAVES

Senior guard Malia Bambrick (Santa Clarita, Calif./Bishop Alemany HS) notched a team-high 16 points. She added five rebounds, three steals and one assist.
Senior guard Cheyenne Givens (Gardena, Calif./Serra HS/Los Angeles Trade-Tech) recorded a season-high 15 points to go along with four assists and two rebounds.
Freshman forward Meaali'I Amosa (Garden Grove, Calif./Mater Dei HS) scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds while adding a block.
Sophomore forward Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif./Palisades Charter HS) collected 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Sophomore forward Kendyl Carson (Juneau, Alaska/Juneau Douglas HS) netted nine points. She also tallied six assists and two steals.

GAME RECAP

Pepperdine scored the first bucket on the game with a Givens jumper, but San Francisco would answer back with the next five. The Waves' largest lead of the quarter would be two on multiple occasions – 9-7, 11-9, 13-11 and 15-13. The Dons would score six of the last eight in the frame, including a jumper at the buzzer, to take a 19-17 lead into the second quarter.

The second quarter was close throughout, as neither team led by more than four points. USF held a 23-19 lead before two quick buckets by Givens tied the game up at 23. The Waves held a 33-30 lead after a Nwaba layup with 2:04 remaining in the period, but Jasmine Gayles scored six straight for the Dons to give them the 36-33 lead with 16 seconds left in the half. Carson answered with a bucket with three seconds left in the half before Ioanna Krimili drilled a half-court shot as the buzzer sounded to give USF a 39-35 lead at the break.

Krimili hit a three with 8:04 left in the third quarter to give USF its biggest lead so far at 44-37. Pepperdine answered with a 10-1 run after a Bambrick three to take a 47-45 lead with 3:44 left in the quarter. Neither team would lead by more than two the rest of the period, as Carson ended the quarter with a three to give the Waves a 54-53 lead heading into the final frame.

Gayles opened the fourth with a three to regain the lead for the Dons. After a bucket plus the foul by Nwaba, Pepperdine held a slim 59-58 lead with 6:58 remaining. USF answered with a layup before Bambrick and Givens responded with two jumpers to give the Waves a 63-60 lead with less than five to go. After Stedman's jumper with 4:14 left, USF's Amalie Langer scored five straight points to give USF a 67-65 lead that would not be relinquished. The Dons hit four free throws in the final minute to put the game away and earn the win.

STATS

There were 19 lead changes and 13 ties throughout the contest.
Both teams shot an identical 48.3% from the field, as Pepperdine went 28-for-58 while USF shot 29-for-60.
Pepperdine scored 40 points in the paint compared to 36 by San Francisco.
USF's bench outscored Pepperdine's 33-19, with 17 points coming from Jasmine Gayles.
The Waves held San Francisco to 6-for-21 shooting from beyond the arc (28.6%).
San Francisco had three players in double figures, led by 28 points from Ioanna Krimili.

UP NEXT

The Waves wrap up the regular season with a trip to the Pacific Northwest, facing Gonzaga on Thursday, February 24 at 6:00 p.m. and Portland on Saturday, February 26 at 12:00 p.m. Both games will be streamed on the WCC Network.