PULLMAN, Wash. – Pepperdine women's basketball (9-4, 0-1 WCC) lost the opening game of conference play 63-66 to Washington State (2-12, 1-0 WCC) Sunday afternoon in Beasley Coliseum.
 
"Conference play demands your very best," head coach Katie Faulkner said. "I know we will respond well to this loss, but we need to learn some key lessons fast."
 
Taking 47 shots throughout the West Coast Conference opener, 20 less than Washington State, the Waves had fewer chances to overtake the Cougars in the tight back-and-forth game that saw nine lead changes and seven ties.
 
Two career-highs highlighted Pepperdine's offense as Megan Fiso dropped 20 and Elli Guiney shot for 26 to give the Waves over half of their overall 66 points.
 
With just 19 points between the two squads in the first quarter, the game was shaping up to be defensively heavy. Fiso led the Waves with six of the team's 11 as the visitors held an 11-8 edge after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Outscored 16-12 to close the first half, Pepperdine hit just four from the field compared to Washington State's nine. With three lead changes and three ties in the second quarter alone, the Cougars took a narrow 23-24 lead into the locker room. Fiso was the only Wave in double digits with 10 after two quarters, with Guiney following close behind with nine.
 
Never leading in the fourth, the Waves worked at a deficit to close out the game, trying to will themselves into the lead. Down by as much as 10 with 8:39 left, Pepperdine dug in for a fight. Two from distance by the hands of Guiney quickly shaved the Cougar lead down to four with just under a minute passed. As the score fluctuated, Guiney had 14 herself, hitting a perfect 4-4 from distance to keep her team in the game.
 
Ultimately, timely missed free throws from the Waves would keep the visitors at arms length as Washington State closed the game out, handing Pepperdine a 63-66 loss to open conference play.
 
With a tight turnaround, the Waves travel to Spokane to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs Tuesday night. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. with the game streaming on ESPN+ (subscription required) and live stats available at pepperdinewaves.com.
 
GAME NOTES
 

• Elli Guiney dropped a career-high 26 to lead the Waves this afternoon. 
• Meghan Fiso also hit a career-high 20 points, the second most on the squad in today's game.
• It is just the second game this season Seleh Harmon did not hit a three, the only other game coming against nationally-ranked USC.
• Washington State had 16 second-chance points, compared to Pepperdine's two.
• The Waves had 16 turnovers, almost double Washington State's nine.
• Capitalizing on lost balls, the Cougars scored 18 off turnovers, compared to the Waves' four.
• Both squads hit eight from beyond the arc.
• For just the second time all season, the Waves were outrebounded 33-34.

 
 
 
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 basketball news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWBB.