SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Pepperdine women's basketball (14-9, 5-6 WCC) gritted out a tough 74-72 win over Santa Clara (18-6, 8-3 WCC) Saturday afternoon in the Leavey Center for the Waves' first road win of conference play.
 
"So proud of the buy in, grit, and constant growth this team has shown," stand-in head coach Brian Porth said. "Stacking good days requires stacking small moments and they did that for 40 minutes today."
 
Despite six different lead changes with four ties, Pepperdine held the lead for all but seven minutes this afternoon. Both teams got off to a slow start with just one field goal on each side over three minutes into the game. Lina Falk drained the first from distance for the Waves halfway through the quarter, putting Pepperdine up 11-5. Finishing the first up 17-12, Falk led on the box score with five, followed closely by Meghan Fiso who had four.
 
Gaining momentum, Pepperdine took the largest lead of the game midway through the second quarter, up 19-33 off a second chance bucket from Shorna Preston. To close out the half, the Broncos went on a 14-1 run, narrowly behind as the Waves took a 34-33 lead into the half.
 
Coming alive in the third, Preston doubled her offensive output with eight points, tacking on three assists and two steals to keep Pepperdine out in front. As both teams traded points from distance to close out the quarter, the Waves held on to a 57-53 lead with 10 to go.
 
Six different Waves scored in the fourth as Pepperdine looked to close the first road conference win of the year. Tied at 65-65 with 3:45 to go, clutch buckets from Preston and Fiso gave the Waves a four-point lead as Falk kept the visiting team in front at the free throw line. A five-point play on the other end of the court tied the game at 72-72 with 23 seconds to go. With the game on the line, Elli Guiney took it herself, driving in the lane for the basket. Despite no foul called, the sophomore laid the basket in perfectly to give the Waves a two-point advantage with 2 seconds to go. The defense held up, securing the third-straight conference win 74-72. 
 
GAME NOTES
 

• Shorna Preston and Lina Falk split the title of leading scorer with 15 apiece.
• Defensively, Falk led the Waves with 10 rebounds in her first double-double of the season.
• Taija Sta. Maria and Meghan Fiso also netted double digits with 14 a piece.
• With the highest-net win of the season, Santa Clara was 61 coming into the day, the highest in the West Coast Conference.
• The three-game win streak in conference is Pepperdine's best since the 2019-2020 season.
• This afternoon marks the first win over the Broncos in three years.
• Falk is the third player to secure a double-double this year, joining Preston and Bella Green.
• Pepperdine outshot Santa Clara .509 from the field and .313 from distance, compared to .307 and .306, respectively.
• The Waves scored 44 in the paint today, nearly doubling the Broncos' 24.
• Picking up 11 more boards, Pepperdine outrebounded Santa Clara 47-36.

 
Pepperdine takes the week off, not playing again until next Saturday afternoon at home. Tipping off at 1 p.m. against Washington State, it is Willie's Birthday Bash as well as the program's Jr. Waves day. 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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