Friday, November 13
Malibu, Calif.
6:00 PM
Pepperdine University
2-2,0-0WCC
41
vs
49
Princeton
5-0,0-0Ivy League
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | 11 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 49 |
| Pepperdine | 8 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 41 |
11/13/2026 9:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women's basketball (2-2) played tough against the Princeton Tigers (5-0), who received votes in this week's AP top 25 poll, faltering in the fourth to drop the final game in Firestone Fieldhouse 41-49.
"Princeton is one of the best mid-major teams in the country," head coach Katie Faulkner said. "So given the result, I'm very proud of our execution of the game plan and ability to have a chance to win. We have lots to get better in, but there were winning moments all over that game."
In a defensive-heavy game where neither team surpassed 50 points, baskets were hard to come by. The Waves were 0-6 in the opening quarter from distance, making points in the paint all the more valuable. Holding the Tigers to 11 points through the first 10 minutes, Pepperdine put together eight with three apiece from Maggie Mendelson and Lina Falk to make it a one-possession game with a quarter gone.
Flipping the script on the Tigers in the second quarter, the Waves held the visitors to single digits on the scoreboard with seven. The first three of the night came from Seleh Harmon, who had five in the 10-minute stretch. Harmon tied Falk in the quarter to lead the team with five as the Waves scored 12 to jump out to a 21-18 lead heading into the locker room.
Heading into the second half, the Waves matched the Tigers in every way. Elli Guiney would hit the only other three of the night for Pepperdine, pacing the team with five in the quarter. As the Waves struggled to score, the defense showed up in a big way to get a stop on the other end of the court. Each team walked away with 13 points and as the third quarter began, the Waves had a three-point 34-31 lead over a team voted the number one midmajor in the country by College Insider this week.
The game began to fall apart for Pepperdine in the fourth when shooting continued to stay ice cold while heating up for the visitors. Going scoreless for nearly six minutes down the stretch, Princeton marched back to take the lead, having as big as an 11 point advantage in the final quarter. Pepperdine never gave up, shooting from distance to try and efficiently cut the Tiger lead. As shots continued to bounce in and out of the basket, the Waves ran out of time to complete a comeback, falling 41-49 in the final game in Firestone Fieldhouse. Pepperdine will not be back in Malibu until the opening weekend of the Mountain at Mullin Park when they will take on Boise State Sunday, December 6 at 2 p.m.
Next up, the Waves hit the road to take on Nevada in Reno. The game, set for tipoff at 11 a.m. as their designated kids game, will be streaming live on ESPN+ (subscription required) with live stats available on www.pepperdinewaves.com.
GAME NOTES
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 recent success in the WNIT which included runs to the Super Sixteen in 2019 and 2026.
TICKETS
Single game tickets are on sale now, starting as low as $11! Season tickets are also on sale with the opportunity to become a founding season ticket member for the Mountain at Mullin Park starting at $85. 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.
"Princeton is one of the best mid-major teams in the country," head coach Katie Faulkner said. "So given the result, I'm very proud of our execution of the game plan and ability to have a chance to win. We have lots to get better in, but there were winning moments all over that game."
In a defensive-heavy game where neither team surpassed 50 points, baskets were hard to come by. The Waves were 0-6 in the opening quarter from distance, making points in the paint all the more valuable. Holding the Tigers to 11 points through the first 10 minutes, Pepperdine put together eight with three apiece from Maggie Mendelson and Lina Falk to make it a one-possession game with a quarter gone.
Flipping the script on the Tigers in the second quarter, the Waves held the visitors to single digits on the scoreboard with seven. The first three of the night came from Seleh Harmon, who had five in the 10-minute stretch. Harmon tied Falk in the quarter to lead the team with five as the Waves scored 12 to jump out to a 21-18 lead heading into the locker room.
Heading into the second half, the Waves matched the Tigers in every way. Elli Guiney would hit the only other three of the night for Pepperdine, pacing the team with five in the quarter. As the Waves struggled to score, the defense showed up in a big way to get a stop on the other end of the court. Each team walked away with 13 points and as the third quarter began, the Waves had a three-point 34-31 lead over a team voted the number one midmajor in the country by College Insider this week.
The game began to fall apart for Pepperdine in the fourth when shooting continued to stay ice cold while heating up for the visitors. Going scoreless for nearly six minutes down the stretch, Princeton marched back to take the lead, having as big as an 11 point advantage in the final quarter. Pepperdine never gave up, shooting from distance to try and efficiently cut the Tiger lead. As shots continued to bounce in and out of the basket, the Waves ran out of time to complete a comeback, falling 41-49 in the final game in Firestone Fieldhouse. Pepperdine will not be back in Malibu until the opening weekend of the Mountain at Mullin Park when they will take on Boise State Sunday, December 6 at 2 p.m.
Next up, the Waves hit the road to take on Nevada in Reno. The game, set for tipoff at 11 a.m. as their designated kids game, will be streaming live on ESPN+ (subscription required) with live stats available on www.pepperdinewaves.com.
GAME NOTES
- Lina Falk led the Waves tonight with 14.
- Elli Guiney posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.
- Maggie Mendelson and Evelyn Martyn grabbed the most offensive boards with three apiece.
- Keandra Koorits secured three steals.
- The Waves outscored the Tigers in the paint tonight 22-20.
- Rebounds were equal on both squads with 37, including nine offensive rebounds for each team.
- Pepperdine's bench outscored Princeton's 12-8.
- So far this season, the Waves have held opponents to an average of 53.8 ppg.
- The Waves matched the Tigers' biggest scoring run of the night with 10.
- Both teams held the lead for nearly the exact same amount of time with 18:25 for Princeton and 18:55 for Pepperdine.
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 recent success in the WNIT which included runs to the Super Sixteen in 2019 and 2026.
TICKETS
Single game tickets are on sale now, starting as low as $11! Season tickets are also on sale with the opportunity to become a founding season ticket member for the Mountain at Mullin Park starting at $85. 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.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballTeam Stats
PU
PEP
FG%
.339
.286
3FG%
.333
.100
FT%
.429
.688
RB
37
37
TO
11
17
STL
12
5
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
7
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
