LAS VEGAS, Nev.  – Pepperdine women's basketball (19-12, 10-8 WCC) fell Saturday afternoon to the San Francisco Dons (18-13, 9-9 WCC) in the third round of the West Coast Conference tournament.
 
"The willingness of these girls to constantly give in to the team, I am really proud of that," head coach Katie Faulkner said.
 
From start to finish, the game did not break the Waves' way. Getting down early, Pepperdine trailed by double digits early as the Dons hit .500 from distance. Chipping away, the Waves were within one possession thanks to five from Elli Guiney and Ivory FInley's first triple of the afternoon. Trailing 12-15, the Waves were outscored 2-13 to end the opening 10 minutes, down 14-28 after one.
 
Limiting the Dons to just two points in the paint in the second quarter, their tear from distance continued, tallying a total of eight threes in the opening half. As the Waves tried to keep pace, Taija Sta. Maria led the squad with six points, followed by Finley who had five. Narrowly outsourcing San Francisco to enter the break, Pepperdine went into half energized off a Shorna Preston stuff, down 43-30.
 
Out of the half, Elli Guiney led the team with 10 of the team's total 17 points in the quarter. Trailing by as much as 21, Pepperdine kept the fight alive, getting back within 12 before five unanswered points went unanswered on the visitor's side as the Dons tacked four onto their lead with a score of 64-47.
 
Matching San Francisco's 22 points in the final quarter, time ran out to surmount a comeback. Meghan Fiso led the team with 10 points in the closing minutes, followed by Lina Falk who had five. Hitting 13 threes for the first time since the 2022-23 season, San Francisco defeated Pepperdine 86-69 in the third round of the WCC tournament.
 
"I think what we were able to accomplish this year is truly remarkable and one-of-a-kind across the country," Faulkner said when reflecting on this season. "No one else in the country did what we did this year."
 
Sitting at 19-12, the Waves await the unveiling of both the College Basketball Invitational Tournament as well as the Women's National Invitational Tournament next Monday before putting a cap on the season. So far, with 11 more wins cumulatively than last year, head coach Faulkner and co. have put together the fourth-best turnaround in the nation in just her second year at the helm.
 
GAME NOTES
 

• Elli Guiney led the Waves with her eighth 20+ point performance of the season with 22.
• Four Waves scored double digits as Ivory Finley was the only one to do so off the bench.
• Meghan Fiso led the team in rebounds with eight.
• Pepperdine was outshot .407 to .478 from the field.
• The Dons hit 13 from distance, the most allowed by the Waves all year.
• Never holding the lead, the Waves fought a deficit all afternoon.
• The Waves matched the Dons in blocks, both teams tallying two.
• Netting three triples today, Elli Guiney moves to third-all time in program history with a total of 62 threes so far this year.

 
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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