MALIBU, Calif. —  The Pepperdine women's basketball team made defensive improvements after their first time squaring off with the #16 Gonzaga Bulldogs, yet the Bulldogs' three-point shooting came alive during the second half in Pepperdine's 75-41 home loss.

The Waves (5-23, 1-14 West Coast Conference) held the #16 Bulldogs (28-2, 15-0 WCC) scoreless from beyond the arc in the first quarter, which saw Pepperdine trail just 16-9. But the law of averages came through in the Zags' favor, as they went 11-for-24 (45.8%) from beyond the arc after starting the game missing their first five threes.

Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif. Palisades Charter HS) led Pepperdine once again with a 13-point, 10-rebound double — her ninth of the season — while Megan Harkey (Summerfield, N.C./Northwest Guilford HS) chipped in nine points and five rebounds. Pepperdine's posts were responsible for 20 of the Waves' 41 points while squaring off against the Bulldogs' frontcourt.

 

BIG WAVES

• Jane Nwaba (Carson, Calif. Palisades Charter HS) led Pepperdine with 13 points and 10 rebounds for her third-straight double-double and her ninth of the season.

• Megan Harkey (Summerfield, N.C./Northwest Guilford HS) added nine points (on 4-for-6 shooting), five rebounds and a block.

• Helena Friend (Huntington Beach, Calif./Blair Academy) finished with eight points, two steals and a block.

• Jorynn Ross (Milwaukee, Wisc./Summer Creek HS) also had eight points, two rebounds and a steal.

 

Gonzaga's offense was firing on all cylinders early, as the Bulldogs took a 12-0 lead almost exclusively off transition layups. Once the Waves slowed down and settled in, Nwaba sparked a 7-0 Pepperdine run in which she scored five points. A layup from Friend on the Waves' possession made it a seven-point game heading into the second quarter. 

Pepperdine would cut the deficit to four when Harkey kicked off the frame by scoring on back-to-back possessions, yet the surge was short-lived. Gonzaga's WCC-leading three-point shooting arrived when the Bulldogs made threes on their next two possessions. Harkey's third layup of the afternoon cut the Bulldogs' lead to single digits, 24-16, but a 5-0 Zags run in 24 seconds gave them a double-digit lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Trailing 34-21 after halftime, Pepperdine was outscored 23-11 in the third quarter thanks to a 60% shooting performance from Gonzaga. The Waves got a lift from Ross, who scored half of her eight points in the third quarter alone, yet Pepperdine trailed 57-32 heading into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, the Waves trimmed the deficit to 25 points, but they couldn't get any closer as Gonzaga closed the game on a 6-0 run to win 75-41. 

UP NEXT: The Waves play Saint Mary's for Senior Day on March 2 at 2 p.m., Additionally, Miranda Ayim will be formally inducted to the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame and there will be a Pepperdine women's basketball alumnae event following the game.