The Pepperdine women's basketball team could not overcome a slow start against Washington State in the 46-67 loss Saturday afternoon.
 
Despite winning the battle on turnovers and steals, the Waves (5-6, 0-2) did not see enough shots fall their way against the Cougars (7-6, 2-0) in the first game back from the holidays.
 
BIG WAVES
 
Senior Maggie Vick (Morristown, Tenn.) secured double digits for the first time this season with 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
Senior Makena Mastora (Alameda, Calif.) had the second-most points on the squad today with 12 while snagging six rebounds.
 
Senior Ella Brubaker (University Place, Wash.) led the team with 15 points, grabbing one rebound on each side of the ball.
 
KEY STATS
 
With a focus on fundamentals, the Waves beat the Cougars in the turnover battle 14-17.
 
Looking to be aggressive, Pepperdine snatched eight steals from Washington State while the Cougars only managed five.
 
The Cougars out-blocked the Waves 9-0, a contributing factor to the lack of rhythm on the offensive side of the ball.
 
RECAP
 
Struggling to score in the first quarter, the Waves fell behind early. Making just one of 14 shots from the field, Pepperdine was down 5-20 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Battling back in the second with solid defense, the Waves outscored the Cougars in the second quarter. Vick was the star of the first half, scoring eight of the team's 17 points. Mastora was not far behind with six points and four rebounds.
 
Pepperdine was down 11 headed into half with a score of 17-28.
 
With a similar start to the beginning of the game, shots were not falling to start the third quarter. Outscored 13-23, senior Ella Brubaker (University Place, Wash.) led the team with four points in just five minutes.
 
Momentum never swung in the Waves favor and throughout the game, only 13 shots were made from the field, including seven of 20 from three.
 
This is the first time all season Pepperdine has been held to less than 50 points with a final score of 46-67.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Waves look to get back on track Monday night with a game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats can be found on pepperdinewaves.com