Thursday, February 24
Spokane, Wash.
6:00 p.m. PT
Pepperdine University
at
Gonzaga
Meaali'i Amosa
Photo by: Charlie Blake
Women's Basketball Finishes Regular Season on the Road
2/22/2022 2:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MALIBU, California – The Pepperdine women's basketball team heads to the Pacific Northwest in order to visit Gonzaga and Portland for the final two games of the regular season.
GAME #23: Thursday (Feb. 24) at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash.: Pepperdine (8-14, 4-9) at Gonzaga (22-6, 13-2) at 6 p.m.
GAME #24: Saturday (Feb. 26) at the Chiles Center in Portland, Ore.: Pepperdine (8-14, 4-9) at Portland (17-8, 7-6) at 12 p.m.
COVERAGE: Both games will be broadcast live on the WCC Network. Links to the broadcasts as well as live stats are available on the women's basketball schedule page on PepperdineWaves.com. Fans can also follow @WavesHoops on Twitter for live, in-game updates.
LAST GAME: On Saturday, the Waves honored its three seniors, Malia Bambrick, Cheyenne Givens and Cydney Rivera ahead of hosting San Francisco. Pepperdine unfortunately fell to San Francisco, 74-66, after a late fourth-quarter rally by the Dons. Bambrick led the way with 16 points and Givens had a season-high 15 points.
SERIES VS. GONZAGA: Gonzaga has won 47 of the 77 matchups between the two schools. Pepperdine's last win against Gonzaga was in the 2016-17 season when the Waves won by a 10-point margin inside Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves hosted the Bulldogs on Jan. 27, with the Zags taking home the win 66-54.
SERIES VS. PORTLAND: The Waves hold the overall series lead 38-34 with the Pilots. Portland has won five out of the last six meetings, including a 101-94 overtime winner inside Chiles Center during the 2020-21 season. This will be the first meeting for the Waves and Pilots this season.
HONORS: Ally Stedman marked the season's first West Coast Conference weekly honors for the Pepperdine women's basketball team when she was named WCC Freshman of the Week (11/15). She scored 36 points in two games against #20 UCLA and Eastern Washington, of which 28 points, a career-high were against the Bruins.
THIS YEAR: The Waves continue to be led by freshman Ally Stedman who averages 12.1 points per game, which ranks her 12th in scoring on the WCC leaderboard. She also has made 32 three-pointers this season, which is good for 15th in the WCC. Additionally, she has 30 steals this season, which marks her 15th in the WCC.
Malia Bambrick is the second-leading scorer on the team averaging 9.5 points per game. She is in sole possession of fifth on the Pepperdine all-time three-point record list with 160 made, and she needs just three three-pointers to tie for fourth and four to be in sole possession of fourth. Bambrick was named All-WCC honorable mention last season. She now has 1,031 career points.
Meaali'i Amosa is the second-leading rebounder on the team at 6.1 per game, which is good for 11th in the WCC. She also is averaging 5.6 points per game and leads the Waves in shooting percentage at 50.6%. Amosa has nine blocked shots, which averages to 0.5 per game, marking her name 14th in the WCC.
Becky Obinma is averaging 8.2 points per game and leads the Waves in rebounds at 6.4
per game and is ninth in the WCC. She has blocked 37 shots this season, which ranks her third in the WCC.
Kendyl Carson leads the Waves in assists at 4.05 per game, marking her name fifth in the WCC.
THE SQUAD: The Waves bring back nine returners and add three newcomers to the team. The returners include two seniors (Bambrick and Givens), three redshirt juniors (Cydney Rivera, Becky Obinma and Eve Braslis), three sophomores (Isabel Montoya, Jane Nwaba and Kendyl Carson) and redshirt freshman Rosemary Odebunmi. New to Malibu are freshmen Meaali'i Amosa, Helena Friend and Ally Stedman.
AT THE HELM: Kristen Dowling enters her third season as Pepperdine's head women's basketball coach. During her first two seasons with the Waves, she has a record of 21-33. 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.
POSTPONEMENTS: The Waves have had six games thus far postponed due to COVID-19 regulations. Pepperdine was supposed to open up West Coast Conference play on Dec. 30 hosting Pacific, but due to COVID-19 considerations on the Tigers' end, the game has been moved to Feb. 15. The Waves also were intended to play host to Saint Mary's on Jan. 1, but due to COVID-19 considerations with the Waves, the game has been moved to Jan 31. Additionally, Pepperdine was supposed to travel to play San Diego on Jan. 6, but due to COVID-19 regulations, the game has been declared no contest by both schools and the WCC, respectively. The Waves intended to host Loyola Marymount on Jan. 8, but the game has been postponed to Tuesday, Jan. 18 and also postponed again to Tuesday, Jan. 25. Pepperdine was scheduled to host BYU on Thursday, Jan. 20, but due to COVID-19 considerations with the Waves, the game has now been declared no contest by the WCC. The Waves were supposed to host Portland on Jan. 29, but due to COVID-19 protocols within the Pilots, the game has been declared no contest by the WCC.
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 18 schools to have accomplished this feat – and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment and is the only school not affiliated with a major conference. The Waves have 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 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., 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 #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
GAME #23: Thursday (Feb. 24) at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash.: Pepperdine (8-14, 4-9) at Gonzaga (22-6, 13-2) at 6 p.m.
GAME #24: Saturday (Feb. 26) at the Chiles Center in Portland, Ore.: Pepperdine (8-14, 4-9) at Portland (17-8, 7-6) at 12 p.m.
COVERAGE: Both games will be broadcast live on the WCC Network. Links to the broadcasts as well as live stats are available on the women's basketball schedule page on PepperdineWaves.com. Fans can also follow @WavesHoops on Twitter for live, in-game updates.
LAST GAME: On Saturday, the Waves honored its three seniors, Malia Bambrick, Cheyenne Givens and Cydney Rivera ahead of hosting San Francisco. Pepperdine unfortunately fell to San Francisco, 74-66, after a late fourth-quarter rally by the Dons. Bambrick led the way with 16 points and Givens had a season-high 15 points.
SERIES VS. GONZAGA: Gonzaga has won 47 of the 77 matchups between the two schools. Pepperdine's last win against Gonzaga was in the 2016-17 season when the Waves won by a 10-point margin inside Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves hosted the Bulldogs on Jan. 27, with the Zags taking home the win 66-54.
SERIES VS. PORTLAND: The Waves hold the overall series lead 38-34 with the Pilots. Portland has won five out of the last six meetings, including a 101-94 overtime winner inside Chiles Center during the 2020-21 season. This will be the first meeting for the Waves and Pilots this season.
HONORS: Ally Stedman marked the season's first West Coast Conference weekly honors for the Pepperdine women's basketball team when she was named WCC Freshman of the Week (11/15). She scored 36 points in two games against #20 UCLA and Eastern Washington, of which 28 points, a career-high were against the Bruins.
THIS YEAR: The Waves continue to be led by freshman Ally Stedman who averages 12.1 points per game, which ranks her 12th in scoring on the WCC leaderboard. She also has made 32 three-pointers this season, which is good for 15th in the WCC. Additionally, she has 30 steals this season, which marks her 15th in the WCC.
Malia Bambrick is the second-leading scorer on the team averaging 9.5 points per game. She is in sole possession of fifth on the Pepperdine all-time three-point record list with 160 made, and she needs just three three-pointers to tie for fourth and four to be in sole possession of fourth. Bambrick was named All-WCC honorable mention last season. She now has 1,031 career points.
Meaali'i Amosa is the second-leading rebounder on the team at 6.1 per game, which is good for 11th in the WCC. She also is averaging 5.6 points per game and leads the Waves in shooting percentage at 50.6%. Amosa has nine blocked shots, which averages to 0.5 per game, marking her name 14th in the WCC.
Becky Obinma is averaging 8.2 points per game and leads the Waves in rebounds at 6.4
per game and is ninth in the WCC. She has blocked 37 shots this season, which ranks her third in the WCC.
Kendyl Carson leads the Waves in assists at 4.05 per game, marking her name fifth in the WCC.
THE SQUAD: The Waves bring back nine returners and add three newcomers to the team. The returners include two seniors (Bambrick and Givens), three redshirt juniors (Cydney Rivera, Becky Obinma and Eve Braslis), three sophomores (Isabel Montoya, Jane Nwaba and Kendyl Carson) and redshirt freshman Rosemary Odebunmi. New to Malibu are freshmen Meaali'i Amosa, Helena Friend and Ally Stedman.
AT THE HELM: Kristen Dowling enters her third season as Pepperdine's head women's basketball coach. During her first two seasons with the Waves, she has a record of 21-33. 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.
POSTPONEMENTS: The Waves have had six games thus far postponed due to COVID-19 regulations. Pepperdine was supposed to open up West Coast Conference play on Dec. 30 hosting Pacific, but due to COVID-19 considerations on the Tigers' end, the game has been moved to Feb. 15. The Waves also were intended to play host to Saint Mary's on Jan. 1, but due to COVID-19 considerations with the Waves, the game has been moved to Jan 31. Additionally, Pepperdine was supposed to travel to play San Diego on Jan. 6, but due to COVID-19 regulations, the game has been declared no contest by both schools and the WCC, respectively. The Waves intended to host Loyola Marymount on Jan. 8, but the game has been postponed to Tuesday, Jan. 18 and also postponed again to Tuesday, Jan. 25. Pepperdine was scheduled to host BYU on Thursday, Jan. 20, but due to COVID-19 considerations with the Waves, the game has now been declared no contest by the WCC. The Waves were supposed to host Portland on Jan. 29, but due to COVID-19 protocols within the Pilots, the game has been declared no contest by the WCC.
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 18 schools to have accomplished this feat – and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment and is the only school not affiliated with a major conference. The Waves have 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 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., 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 #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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