Pepperdine University’s women’s basketball team is set to host its first West Coast Conference (WCC) home game of the season against the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Friday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves, currently holding a 9-5 overall record and 0-2 in conference play, will face the Gaels, who have a similar 9-6 overall record and are also seeking their first conference win.
The Waves are coming off a 52-75 loss to Gonzaga in Spokane. The team’s 52 points tied for their lowest scoring output this season, which previously occurred against USC. Taija Sta. Maria led Pepperdine with 16 points in that game.
Reflecting on their nonconference performance, Pepperdine finished with a 9-3 record—its fourth best start ever and the program’s best in 45 years. The team has been ranked No. 24 in College Insider’s mid-major top 25 for two consecutive weeks, marking its first appearance in the poll last week.
Nine nonconference wins represent the most for a second-year head coach since DeLisha Milton-Jones led the team in 2018. Freshman Seleh Harmon has made significant contributions from beyond the arc, with her current tally just outside of breaking into Pepperdine’s all-time top ten for three-pointers made.
Defensively, Pepperdine leads the WCC in opponent field goal percentage and defensive rebounds. Nationally, they rank 19th in defensive rebounds and hold a free throw percentage of 76 percent, placing them at No. 44.
Sophomore Elli Guiney has started every game this season after transferring from UNLV where she saw limited minutes last year. She is tenth in WCC scoring and has scored double digits ten times this season.
Freshman Seleh Harmon has played every game as well, often coming off the bench to provide an average of nearly 25 minutes per contest. Shorna Preston from Australia ranks second in conference rebounding at an average of over nine per game and recently earned Pepperdine’s first player of the week honor from the WCC this season.
Graduate transfer Meghan Fiso is averaging just over eleven points per game along with nearly six rebounds; her younger sister Katie plays at Oregon.
Coach Katie Faulkner rebuilt much of this year’s roster through transfers due to having no returning players next season except for four freshmen joining eight transfers—including five from Division I programs and others from junior college or Division II schools. The roster features international players representing Canada, Romania, Germany, Australia, and Spain.
Pepperdine holds an all-time record of 36-50 against Saint Mary’s but leads when playing at home with a record of 22-16 inside Firestone Fieldhouse. Last season saw losses to Saint Mary’s both at home (54-68) and away (41-56). The Waves’ last victory over Saint Mary’s came four seasons ago after overtime; their last regulation win was by a margin of twenty points five years ago.
Saint Mary’s comes into Malibu without any player averaging double-digit points; Edie Clarke and Addi Wedin lead their team with averages just above eight points per game each.
Tipoff is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m., with commemorative throwback “sherseys” available for early attendees as part of throwback night festivities. Fans can watch live via ESPN+ or follow live statistics on www.pepperdinewaves.com.
According to historical records, Pepperdine women’s basketball has appeared four times in NCAA postseason play and claimed both regular-season and tournament titles within the WCC multiple times. The program reached the Sweet Sixteen round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) in 2019.
