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.