Pepperdine University’s women’s basketball team will host San Jose State on Sunday at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu. The Waves, currently holding a 3-1 record, are looking to continue their strong start to the season before the Thanksgiving break.
In their most recent game, Pepperdine secured an 80-74 victory against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. Sophomore Elli Guiney led the team with a career-high 26 points. Shorna Preston contributed by leading the team in rebounds for the fourth consecutive game, finishing with eight boards.
This marks Pepperdine’s best season opening in five years. The team’s offensive performance has placed them third overall in the conference and second in both three-pointers made and three-point shooting percentage. They also rank third in assists per game within the league.
Guiney is currently fifth in scoring among West Coast Conference players and has set three new career-highs this season, including her recent performance against Northern Arizona. Freshman Seleh Harmon has provided a significant impact off the bench, leading the conference in three-point field goal percentage at .550 and tying for first with 2.8 three-pointers per game.
The current roster was built through transfers and freshmen after no players returned from last season. Head Coach Katie Faulkner brought together four freshmen and eight transfers from various backgrounds, including Division I programs, a Division II guard, and a junior college forward from Dodge City, Kansas. The squad features international representation from Canada, Romania, Germany, Australia, and Spain.
Former player Makena Mastora has joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach after transferring into Pepperdine last year.
Pepperdine’s upcoming schedule includes a matchup against #11 USC on November 28. Due to changes in conference scheduling following Seattle’s addition to the West Coast Conference, Pepperdine will not travel to Oregon State or Pacific this season.
The Waves have won both previous meetings against San Jose State. Their last encounter was during the 2009-2010 season when Pepperdine won 83-66 on the road; they also claimed victory during their only prior home meeting with SJSU.
San Jose State enters Sunday’s contest with an 0-3 record under first-year head coach Jonas Chetteron. Maya Anderson leads SJSU with averages of 13.3 points and over eight rebounds per game.
Sunday’s event will spotlight international players on Pepperdine’s roster during halftime as part of “Waves Around the World.” Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., with coverage available on ESPN+ and statistics accessible via www.pepperdinewaves.com.
According to program history, Pepperdine women’s basketball has made four NCAA postseason appearances and won both regular-season and tournament titles multiple times within its conference. The team reached the Sweet Sixteen of the WNIT Tournament in 2019 and counts six All-American selections among its alumni.
Tickets for upcoming home games can be purchased online through Pepperdine Athletics’ official website.
