Pepperdine University’s women’s basketball team secured a 80-74 win against Northern Arizona at the Rolle Activity Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Wednesday night. This victory brings Pepperdine’s season record to 3-1, while Northern Arizona falls to 1-4.
Head coach Katie Faulkner commented on the team’s performance: “As we continue to develop our identity, I’m proud of our effort and ability to find a way tonight. Sometimes it feels like we are building a plane while we are flying it, but that’s the fun part of growing together.”
Pepperdine overcame an early deficit by taking control in the second quarter and maintained their lead for the remainder of the game. The team achieved nearly a .500 shooting percentage and was particularly effective defensively in the second quarter, holding Northern Arizona to nine points during that period.
Sophomore Elli Guiney led Pepperdine with a career-high 26 points, shooting .583 from the field and .500 from three-point range. She has now set new personal scoring records in three out of four games this season. Meghan Fiso and Taija Sta. Maria each contributed 15 points, while Ivory Finley added 10 points.
Shorna Preston led the Waves in rebounds for the fourth consecutive game with eight boards and posted a team-best plus/minus rating of 25. The Waves also improved their ball handling compared to their previous outing by reducing turnovers from 31 to 16.
The team’s free throw accuracy reached its highest mark this season at 81.5 percent, with Fiso making all five of her attempts from the line. In transition play, Pepperdine scored a season-high 19 fast break points.
Pepperdine last started a season with a similar record during the 2020-21 campaign.
Looking ahead, Pepperdine will host San Jose State for a Sunday afternoon game scheduled for a 2 p.m. tipoff. The event will celebrate international diversity within the squad as part of “Waves around the World” day. Fans can watch via ESPN+ (subscription required) or follow live statistics at pepperdinewaves.com.
The program has previously made four NCAA postseason appearances and won multiple West Coast Conference titles as well as reaching the Sweet Sixteen in the WNIT Tournament in 2019.
For ticket information about upcoming home events, visit here.
