MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women's basketball (7-3) fell in overtime to North Dakota State (9-2) 80-82 Monday afternoon in Firestone Fieldhouse.
"We had a lot of chances to win that game, and then there's a lot of things we can grow from that are the reason we didn't win tonight," head coach
Katie Faulkner said. "But what I know about us is that we will get better."
Shooting an unprecedented .508 from the field by the end of the game compared to the Bison's .388, the final was separated by free throws as NDSU was awarded 34 trips to the line, compared to Pepperdine's 12.
As both teams settled into the rhythm of the game after tip-off, NDSU came out of the gates swinging, going on a 7-2 run to start the afternoon.
Lina Falk answered with Pepperdine's first three of the game, but coach Faulkner wanted a timeout with half the quarter gone, trailing 5-13.
Out of the first timeout, Pepperdine answered with two quick baskets to cut the Bison lead in half.
Bella Green finished out the first with three baskets, leading the team with six points as the Waves trailed 13-17 after one.
Two from distance would aid the Bison to open the second quarter, taking their biggest lead of the game 29-17 with just under six to go in the half.
Meghan Fiso got her first bucket on a career-high night to try and kickstart the Waves comeback as a three from
Seleh Harmon and another bucket from Green kept Pepperdine in striking distance.
At the half, both teams had identical shooting percentages from the field, with two made from distance. The Bison were a perfect 9-9 from the charity with the Waves not having an opportunity with zero free throws attempted as the visitors led 37-28 through 20 minutes of play.
Sprinting into the second half on a mission, the Waves went on a 13-2 run in the opening four minutes of the third quarter to take the first advantage of the afternoon. Four from
Taija Sta. Maria and five from
Elli Guiney lifted Pepperdine to take the 41-39 lead.
The rest of the game would be a battle between the two squads with the game tying six times in the third quarter alone. Fiso caught fire, leading the team with eight points in the 10-minute stretch. Doubling NDSU's offense in the third, the Waves were up 54-50 after 30.
Neither squad gave any wiggle room in the final quarter. Harmon stretched the Wave lead to five with a crucial three just over a minute into the fourth as NDSU clawed their way back into the game with free throws. Leading by six with four minutes to go, a basket from distance combined with two crucial offensive rebounds on the Bison's end of the floor gave the visitors the opportunity to tie the game at 70-all, sending Pepperdine to overtime for the first time this season.
Never leading in the five-minute stretch, Pepperdine played catch-up in overtime, trailing by as much as five at one point before Guiney's two layups brought the Waves within one possession with just five seconds on the clock. Having to travel the entire length of the court, the Waves could not get a final quality shot off before time expired.
After 45 minutes, with four lead changes and seven ties throughout the game, Pepperdine lost by a final of 82-80.
The Waves post an 0-1 record against the Bison with this afternoon being the first matchup between the two programs.
With a quick turnaround, Pepperdine turns the page to prepare for South Dakota tomorrow night. The game, which is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tipoff, will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) and live stats will be available at
pepperdinewaves.com
GAME NOTES
- Meghan Fiso, who notched a career high on the night, scored 17.
- Elli Guiney tied Fiso with 17 of her own.
- Lina Falk was the third Wave in double digits, scoring a season-high 14 points.
- On the defensive side of the ball, Fiso and Shorna Preston led the team with seven apiece.
- Shooting .508 from the field, it is the Waves' best shooting percentage since the first game of the year against CSU Fullerton.
- Five from three is the second-lowest of the season for Pepperdine, coming in on top of just one made against No. 18 USC.
- For just the second time this season, Pepperdine was outrebounded, 34-39.
- The 34 total rebounds matches the low this season, first set at Utah Valley.
- The 34 attempted free throws by the Bison is by far the most given up by the Waves this season, besting the previous-high of 21 at CSU Fullerton.
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.
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