STOCKTON, Calif. – Meaali'i Amosa of the Pepperdine women's basketball team drained a career-high 17 points in the Alex G. Spanos Center on Thursday night, though the Waves were unable to overcome Pacific in the end, falling 74-65.
 
The Waves (6-9, 1-4 WCC) outscored the Tigers (6-9, 1-3 WCC) in the first and last quarter, but Pacific's lead in the second quarter proved too much.
 
BIG WAVES

• Sophomore forward Meaali'i Amosa (Garden Grove, Calif./Mater Dei HS) led the Waves with 17 points by shooting 8-for-10. Amosa brought down six rebounds, had two assists and a steal.
• Sophomore guard Helena Friend (Huntington Beach, Calif./Blair Academy) collected 10 points and one steal.
• Junior forward Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif./Palisades Charter HS) put up nine points to go with five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block. 

GAME RECAP
 
The Waves started the game on an eight-point scoring run. Pacific sank a layup for their first points of the game, but Amosa hit back-to-back layups to go up 12-2. The Tigers started to heat up and closed out the first quarter with eight straight points to get within three at 16-13.
 
In the start of the second quarter, Pepperdine and Pacific exchanged baskets before the Tigers scored 12 consecutive points to take the lead at 27-21. The Waves and Tigers went back-and-forth before Pacific sank a free throw to end the quarter with a double-digit lead, 37-27.
 
After the break, Pacific notched back-to-back baskets to extend the lead at 41-27. Hailey Hoff (San Bruno, Calif./Capuchino HS) drained a bucket, but the Tigers had six straight points to increase the advantage, 47-29. Through the rest of the quarter, the Waves and Tigers went back and forth, though Pacific collected the last bucket of the quarter to head into the final frame with a 55-40 lead.
 
Pacific made the first basket of the fourth quarter, but Friend drained a three-pointer to make it 57-43. Pepperdine was able to get the deficit to nine, 65-56, on a Drea Brumfield (Chehalis, Wash./W.F. West HS) three. With under three minutes to go, Nwaba and Friend made back-to-back buckets to get the Waves within eight at 71-63. The Tigers hit one from long range, but Friend drained both her free throws to close out the game.
 
STATS

• Pepperdine out-rebounded Pacific 37-32.
• The Waves forced 25 Tigers' turnovers.
• Pacific outshot Pepperdine 47.7% to 45.8%. 

NOTABLE

• Freshman center KK Brodie (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge HS) had career highs in points (seven) and rebounds (seven). 

UP NEXT
 
The Waves will continue the Northern California trip visiting Saint Mary's on Saturday, Jan. 7 for an afternoon game. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be streamed on the WCC Network.