BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Pepperdine women's basketball team used a big 19-0 run in the second quarter, then relied on a balanced scoring night and near-perfect shooting in the fourth quarter to win 80-60 at Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday.

All told, the Waves (3-8) had their most balanced offensive night of the year. Five players finished in double-figures for the Waves, who connected on a season-best 55.0% of their field goals en route to scoring a season-high 80 points against the Roadrunners (2-6). Eight of the nine Pepperdine players who saw the floor scored, plus the team dished out 18 assists — the most the team has had against Division I competition this year.

BIG WAVES

• Ella Brubaker (University Place, Wash. Curtis HS) led the Waves in scoring for the sixth-straight game with a season-high 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting.

• Emerita Mashaire (Helsinki, Finland/HBA Marksy) had 16 points, eight rebounds and a team-best seven assists — all of which were season-highs. 

• Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif. Palisades Charter HS) had her third double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three assists. 

• For the third-straight game, Jorynn Ross (Milwaukee, Wisc./Summer Creek HS) set her new single-game career high with 11 points. She also chipped in five rebounds and four assists.

• Megan Harkey (Summerfield, N.C./Northwest Guilford HS) tied her season-high 10 points and pulled down a season-best nine rebounds to go with two blocks. 

KEY STATS

• Defensively, Pepperdine limited Cal State Bakersfield to shooting 34.2% (25-for-73) from the field and a mere 25.8% (8-for-31) from beyond the arc.

• Pepperdine out-rebounded Cal State Bakersfield by a 47 to 28 margin.

• The Waves went 8-for-9 (88.89%) from the field in the fourth quarter.

• Pepperdine's bench out-scored Cal State Bakersfield 40-4.

Playing their first games in over a week, both teams started slow out the gate until Harkey opened up the scoring with a layup at the 8:09 mark. Although the 'Runners took their first lead of the night with a three to go up 5-4, their lead was short-lived. Brubaker and Mashaire scored on back-to-back possessions, then Maggie Vick (Morristown, Tenn./Lakeway Christian HS) made a jumper to help Pepperdine double up Cal State Bakersfield 10-5 with less than four minutes to play. However, the Roadrunners would tie the game at 14 on the final possession of the first quarter.

In a sign of things to come, Brubaker nailed a three on the Waves' first possession of the second quarter to put the Waves up 17-14.

From that point onward, Pepperdine never trailed.

Holding on to a 21-18 lead with 5 minutes and 33 seconds to go, the Waves' made their next six shots to go on a 19-0 run. Ross scored her first bucket of the game, then Pepperdine got hot from beyond the arc. Addi Melone (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial HS) nailed a three, then Ross found Hailey Johnson (Coto de Caza, Calif./JSerra Catholic HS) on the left wing for another three. Then the Waves blitzed the 'Runners in transition with layups from Brubaker and another from Ross. Nwaba's three gave Pepperdine a 38-18 lead, then Melone knifed through the defense to cap off a 26-point second quarter.

Trailing 40-18 at halftime, Cal State Bakersfield showed some resolve in the third quarter by going on a 14-0 lead in 3 minutes and 26 seconds. Harkey opened the scoring once again to snap the Roadrunners' comeback attempt, but the hosts pulled within six points off a jumper from Shaune Brown out of the media timeout. A mini 7-0 run helped put Cal State Bakersfield at arm's length, then an and-one put-back opportunity from Nwaba fired up the Waves bench.

Leading 56-45 with 10 minutes to go, the Waves kept driving to the basket and getting to the line. Mashaire's fourth-quarter play was monumental for the Waves: She scored eight of her 16 points in the fourth quarter alone, plus two of her assists led to five points.

However, the Waves would have to hold off one more comeback attempt from CSU Bakersfield. Trailing 70-50 with their backs against the wall, the 'Runners tried turning to their press, yet they couldn't capitalize on offense. Late layups from Harkey and a pair of free throws from Mashaire in the final two minutes helped put the finishing touches on the 80-60 win.