FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Pepperdine women's basketball (3-1) defeated Northern Arizona (1-4) in the midweek matchup at Rolle Activity Center Wednesday night.
"As we continue to develop our identity, I'm proud of our effort and ability to find a way tonight," head coach
Katie Faulkner said. "Sometimes it feels like we are building a plane while we are flying it, but that's the fun part of growing together."
With a near .500 shooting percentage on the night, the Waves came back from a first quarter deficit to skyrocket to the lead in the second quarter, never looking back.
Leading Pepperdine with a career-high 26 points,
Elli Guiney shot .583 from the field, including .500 from distance. The sole sophomore on the squad has now set a career-high in three of the four games on the season.
Three other Waves scored double digits in the six point win, with
Meghan Fiso and
Taija Sta. Maria netting 15 a piece, while
Ivory Finley was just five behind with 10 points.
Defense peaked in the second quarter, holding the Lumberjacks to single digits with nine points in the 10-minute stretch.
Leading for over half the game, the Waves went on a 17-point scoring run to close the half out. And once the Waves took the advantage with 1:59 left in the second quarter, they did not give it up.
Shooting 81.5 percent from the charity stripe, it's the squad's best showing so far this season.
Holding a 13 point lead with 8:22 left in the game, Pepperdine held on through Northern Arizona's final push for the lead, closing out the night with a 80-74 victory.
Up next, the Waves host the San Jose State Spartans for a Sunday matinee game, slated for a 2 p.m. tipoff. It is Waves around the World day, where the team will celebrate all the different countries and cultures that make up our squad. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) and live stats can be found on
pepperdinewaves.com
GAME NOTES
- Guiney led the team with her career-high 26 point outing.
- Shorna Preston, who has led the Waves in rebounds for all four games now, had a team-high eight boards tonight.
- The Waves have not been 3-1 since the 2020-21 season.
- Meghan Fiso, who shot .500 from the field, was also perfect in all five of her free throws.
- Preston also sported the best +/- on the squad with 25.
- Pepperdine turned the ball over almost 50 percent less than last time out, with 16 turnovers compared to 31 at Utah Valley.
- Scoring in transition, the Waves scored a season-high 19 on fast breaks tonight.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Pepperdine women's basketball has made four NCAA postseason appearances in its history, having won the WCC regular-season four times and the WCC Tournament on three occasions. With six All-American selections in program history, the Waves have also seen success in the WNIT Tournament which included a run to the Sweet Sixteen in 2019.
TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit
here.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's soccer news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWBB.
