Pepperdine University’s women’s basketball team is set to play against the No. 18 ranked USC Trojans in Los Angeles on Friday at the Galen Center. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tipoff and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Waves enter the matchup with a 4-1 record, marking their best start since the 2018-19 season. In their most recent outing, Pepperdine defeated San Jose State 76-52 at home. Elli Guiney led scoring for the fourth time this season with 19 points, while Meghan Fiso contributed defensively with 10 rebounds.
Through five games, Pepperdine has established itself as one of the top offensive teams in its league, ranking second overall and first in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage. The team currently holds a .397 three-point shooting rate, placing them 14th nationally.
Sophomore Elli Guiney has been a key player, ranking sixth in the West Coast Conference (WCC) for scoring and reaching double digits in four games so far this season. Freshman Seleh Harmon has also made an impact off the bench, leading the WCC in three-point field goal percentage (.556) and averaging three made threes per game.
Coach Katie Faulkner and her staff rebuilt this year’s roster using transfers and freshmen after no players returned from last season. The squad includes four freshmen and eight transfers representing five countries outside the United States: Canada, Romania, Germany, Australia, and Spain.
Makena Mastora, who joined Pepperdine as a graduate transfer last year, now serves as an assistant coach.
This will be Pepperdine’s tenth game at USC’s Galen Center; they have yet to win there or against USC overall (0-19 all-time). The teams have not faced each other since the 2012-13 season.
USC comes into Friday’s contest with a 4-2 record, having only lost to Top-25 opponents South Carolina and Notre Dame. Jazzy Davidson leads USC in both scoring (16 points per game) and rebounding (7.2 boards per game).
Pepperdine women’s basketball has previously appeared in four NCAA postseason tournaments and won both WCC regular-season titles and tournaments multiple times.
Tickets for upcoming home events can be purchased through Pepperdine’s official athletics website.
“Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+ with stats available at www.pepperdinewaves.com“
“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.”
“For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.”
“To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women’s soccer news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWBB.”
