MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine women's basketball team tried to make a fourth quarter comeback, but fell 58-51 to San Diego on Thursday night in Firestone Fieldhouse.
 
The Waves (6-11, 1-6) had three players in double figures, highlighted by Marly Walls with 20 points. In the fourth quarter against the Toreros (9-8, 3-3), the Waves out-scored them 19-11.
 
BIG WAVES

• Graduate guard Marly Walls (Bardstown, Ky./Nelson County HS/Bucknell) led the squad with 20 points. Walls dished out two assists and had two steals.
• Redshirt senior forward Becky Obinma (Menifee, Calif./Rosary Academy/TCU) had her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. She also blocked two shots.
• Junior forward Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif./Palisades Charter HS) collected 10 points and brought down six boards.

GAME RECAP
 
At the start of the game, San Diego took an early 5-0 lead, but Pepperdine made back-to-back layups to get within one. Kiera Oakry of San Diego scored four straight points to give the Toreros a 12-6 lead. San Diego then scored another five points to increase the lead, 17-8, though Pepperdine scored the last two points of the first quarter to make it 17-10.
 
In the second quarter, Nwaba and Helena Friend (Huntington Beach, Calif./Blair Academy) each put up a bucket to get the Waves back within three, 17-14. San Diego went on an 11-point scoring run to get a double-digit lead at 30-17. After back-and-forth baskets, Walls sank one from long range and just under a minute to go make it 34-24 heading into the break.
 
Following the break, San Diego scored the first basket and Meaali'i Amosa (Garden Grove, Calif./Mater Dei HS) answered with a layup of her own to make it 36-26. The Toreros notched six consecutive points to increase the advantage to 42-26. San Diego added three points to the lead, 47-32, before heading into the final 10 minutes.
 
In the final frame, the Waves tried to make a comeback run and scored seven straight to cut the deficit to eight at 51-43. Pepperdine and San Diego went back and forth, before Friend hit a three pointer with under five seconds to go, but it wasn't enough for the Waves.
 
STATS

• Pepperdine out-rebounded San Diego 32-31.
• The Toreros outshot the Waves 47.1% to 36%.
• San Diego forced 18 Pepperdine turnovers.

NOTABLE

• Freshman center KK Brodie (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge HS) blocked a career-high three shots.

UP NEXT
 
The Waves will stay in Malibu and host BYU on Saturday, Jan. 14. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the WCC Network.