The Pepperdine women's basketball team hosts the last of a three-game home stretch Tuesday in the PCH Rival Cup showdown.
 
GAME #19 –Mental Health Awareness Game –  Tuesday (Jan. 28) against LMU at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
COVERAGE: The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required). Live stats can be found at www.pepperdinewaves.com
 
FIRE RELIEF: To assist those affected by the LA County fires, please visit this link for a list of ways to donate including the Pepperdine Strong Fund, the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, the Malibu Urgent Care Center and more. Pepperdine is incredibly grateful to the firefighters and first responders who have kept thousands safe during these events
 
GAME DONATIONS: Fans are encouraged to bring chapsticks/lip balm, preservative free eye drops, throat lozenges or hard candies and sunscreen to the game for donations to Malibu Urgent Care who supplies these items to those affected by the fires.
 
SERIES VS. LMU: With a winning record over the Lions, the Waves are 60-35 overall against LMU, including a 30-13 record in Malibu. Looking to break a losing streak, Pepperdine last beat LMU in the earlier half of the 2022-23 season at home. In the latest matchup last season, senior Helena Friend dropped 12 points, followed by senior Maggie Vick who put up eight.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS: So far this season, LMU has gathered eight wins, including two conference wins. Similar nonconference opponents include Cal State Fullerton, who LMU beat 64-61 Nov. 27.In their last game out against Washington State, graduate student Naudia Evans, who leads her team in overall points this season, dropped 37 points.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Last week, the Waves began their three-game home stretch welcoming Pacific and Gonzaga to Malibu. On Saturday, Pepperdine held a Play4Kay game to honor Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier, who is battling breast cancer, as well as all who have been touched by cancer. Fighting back from a steep first quarter deficit, the Waves cut the Bulldog lead to nine by half. Offense struggled to find rhythm in the second half but despite the 81-53 loss, the Mastora sisters had a good outing with 20 points between them. Senior Ornela Muca had her first double-digit performance since Dec. 6 with 10 points.

IN THE WCC: Currently in the top 25 for scoring, senior Ella Brubaker sits at 25 averaging 10.2 points per game. The sole freshman on the roster appears in multiple categories among the top 25. For threes per game, she is fourth amongst all players with an average of 1.9 a game as well as 11th in the same category when just regarding conference games. Senior Makena Mastora is 24th in rebounding for all games with an average of 4.9 a game. On the defensive side of the ball, senior Megan Harkey is 8th in the conference for blocks, averaging 1.1 a game.
 
SOARING SOTELL: Sitting tenth in the conference in assists and ninth in assist/turnover ratio, Chloe is serving a pivotal role for the Waves in her first season of collegiate basketball The Connecticut native leads the team with 35 three-pointers, averaging 10.2 points over the season.
 
BREWING WITH BRUBAKER: Tying her highest D-I performance three separate times this season, the senior is having her best year yet with the Waves. Leading the team, the Washington native has 184 points, averaging 10.2 a game. Currently 19th in the conference, the senior is averaging 1.2 steals per game.
 
AT THE HELM: Katie Faulkner is entering her first year as the head coach of the Waves. Previously, Faulkner served as an assistant at the University of Washington for three seasons. During her tenure, Faulkner took Washington to the WNIT Final four in the program's first postseason berth in six years. Prior to joining the Huskies, the Montana alumnae served as an assistant coach at Oregon State from 2016-2021. In those five seasons, the Beavers garnered a 118-37 record while going to the NCAA tournament four years in a row, including a 2018 Elite Eight appearance.
 
CATCH THE WAVES — Season tickets for Pepperdine men's and women's basketball are currently on sale at PepperdineWaves.com/Tickets (http://pepperdinewaves.com/tickets). Single game tickets are also available for purchase. Season ticket prices begin at $99 and fans have the opportunity to purchase a pass for priority parking near Firestone Fieldhouse for $200.