MORAGA, Calif. . – Pepperdine women's basketball (11-9, 2-6 WCC) lost on a last second shot to Saint Mary's (12-9, 3-5 WCC) 51-53 in a game that saw 12 lead changes with neither team leading by more than six the whole night.
 
"Competing is hard. Winning is harder," stand-in head coach Brian Porth said. "Growing as a group to get there together is something we are committed to, excited we get to play again on Saturday."
 
Both teams struggled to create offense all night as the 51-53 final is the lowest combined point total for the Waves all season. Seleh Harmon led Pepperdine in the opening quarter, going 2-for-3 from distance to net six as Pepperdine took an early 13-11 lead.
 
Harmon, who has not hit more than one three in a game since Dec. 20, hit five from distance tonight.
 
With just three players scoring in the second, Harmon, Meghan Fiso, and Shorna Preston combined for 12 in the 10 minute stretch. The Waves were outscored in the quarter as the two teams held the lead for near-identical minutes as Pepperdine trailed 25-27 headed into the break.
 
Coming out of the half, neither team scored for the opening three minutes of the third quarter. Once shots did begin to fall, the Waves went to work under the basket for 10 points in the paint, outscoring the Gaels 16-11 to regain the lead 41-38 with a quarter remaining.
 
In the lowest offensive production of the game, the Waves only scored 10 by two different Waves in the closing quarter. Pepperdine did not have a field goal in the opening six minutes of the quarter until Ivory Finley broke through an and-one layup for the narrow 45-43 lead.
 
Two quick baskets on Pepperdine turnovers gave the Gaels a 51-46 point lead with 1:29 to go. After a layup and foul called for Guiney, it was back to a one possession game at 51-48. Timely missed free throws from the Gaels gave Pepperdine the ball for one of the last shots of the game. A clutch offensive rebound from Preston put the ball in Finely's hands, who hit her only three of the game with less than five seconds to go.
 
Tied at 51-51, the Gaels hit a pull up jumper as time expired to down Pepperdine 51-53. Five of the six total conference losses for Pepperdine have come by one possession with a loss margin of 2.8.
 
 
GAME NOTES
 

• Seleh Harmon led the team tonight with 15 points, the only Wave in double digits.
• Outrebounding Saint Mary's 31-21, Pepperdine grabbed more offensive boards than their opponent for the first time this season by a count of 9-4.
• Pepperdine hit eight from distance tonight compared to Saint Mary's two.
• The Waves had 19 turnovers, almost double the Gaels' 10.
• Saint Mary's secured 21 points off turnovers, beating Pepperdine's 13.
• Shorna Preston grabbed 12 boards tonight, the team high.
• With an overall record of 11-9, the Waves have lost six of the nine games by a combined 16 points.

 
 
Looking to fill the stands for a win on Saturday, the game against Portland will have a theme of "Western Waves" with Boba served to the first 150 fans, Chick-Fil-A served after the game, coupled with free line-dancing class directly outside Firestone. Students will be able to attend with a free shuttle directly from their dorm. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with live stats available at www.pepperdinewaves.com
 
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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