PROVO, Utah – The Pepperdine women's basketball team picked up its first-ever win in the Marriott Center after defeating BYU 64-63 in overtime on Thursday night.
 
The Waves (8-16, 3-11) had an early lead in the first quarter over the Cougars (12-12, 7-6), but trailed for a little after halftime. In the final frame, the Cougars started the quarter with a six-point run to increase their lead to 43-36. Another five-straight for the Cougars extended the advantage to double-digits at 48-38. Pepperdine then scored six consecutive points to cut the lead to six. With three minutes of regulation left, the Waves had its longest scoring run of nine-points to tie the game at 57-all to push the game to overtime.
 
A big layup that turned into a three-point play by Meaali'i Amosa, as she drained a layup and was fouled to advance the Waves to a 60-57 lead. The Waves and Cougars exchanged baskets before BYU attempted to make the buzzer shot, but it hit the rim and the Waves picked up the rebound to collect the victory.
 
BIG WAVES

• Sophomore guard Ally Stedman (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS) led the squad with 21 points. She brought down five rebounds, had three assists, blocked two shots and picked up three steals.
• Graduate forward Theresa Grace Mbanefo (Otsego,Minn./Blaine HS/Cornell) collected 14 points and six rebounds. Mbanefo also blocked two shots.
• Junior forward Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif./Pacific Palisades Charter) brought down a career-high and team-high 11 rebounds.

 
GAME RECAP
 
In the first quarter, the Waves came out firing and took a 9-2 lead over the Cougars. BYU went on a six-point scoring run to cut the Pepperdine lead to one. The Cougars scored a layup within the final minute to make it a one-point game at 11-10 heading into the second quarter.
 
The opposition put up back-to-back layups in the beginning of the second quarter to take their first lead of the game at 14-11. Pepperdine and BYU then exchanged buckets throughout, before Lauren Gustin of BYU made a basket with four seconds left in the quarter to give the Cougars a 24-19 lead going into the break.
 
Following halftime, Stedman had herself six-consecutive points to get the Waves back ahead at 46-45. BYU answered with a nine-point scoring run to take the advantage back making the score 33-25. With under two left to play in the third quarter, Mbanefo hit back-to-back layups before Stedman rebounded the ball and put up an on the run three-pointer to make it 37-36 in favor of BYU.
 
After the Waves trailed throughout the third, Pepperdine started a comeback in the fourth quarter with under two minutes to play and scored nine-straight points to force an overtime period. A big layup that turned into a three-point play by Amosa (Garden Grove, Calif./Mater Dei HS) helped propel the Waves over the Cougars to earn the road victory.
 
STATS

• The Waves outshot the Cougars 43.1% to 40.3%.
• Pepperdine out-rebounded BYU 47-34.
• The Waves outscored the Cougars in four of the five periods, including the overtime.
• This is the fifth time in Pepperdine women's basketball history that the Waves have beaten the Cougars and the first time they've done it on BYU's home court.

 
UP NEXT
 
The Waves will be back in Southern California visiting San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 11. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the WCC Network.