JANE LEE
Assistant Sports Editor
Pepperdine guard Nakeya Isabell reacts as time runs out in Pepperdine’s 78-66 loss. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The 15th-seeded Waves came out in full force with all the energy they could muster, but No.-2 seed Oklahoma came out with freshman sensation Courtney Paris, and that’s all the Sooners needed to defeat Pepperdine 78-66 on Saturday in Denver, Colo. to open the NCAA Tournament in the San Antonio Regional.
Paris finished the game with 27 points and 11 rebounds, the first three of which made her the first player in NCAA history to have 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a single season.
There appeared to be a glimmer of hope for a Pepperdine upset in the opening minutes of the game, as the Waves relied on solid defense to keep the score close. Struggles from the field, however, and an inability to get the ball inside the key let Oklahoma pull away for good.
In front of a crowd of 2,511, Pepperdine shot 8-for-32 in the first half and 14-for-39 in the following half, finishing at 35 percent. Sophomore guard Daphanie Kennedy led the Waves with 31 points, 23 of which came in the second half as the Waves cut into an Oklahoma 29-point lead.
Pepperdine, which opened the season 1-6 and lost 11 of its first 14 games, came into the contest riding on an eight-game winning streak, including three straight wins for a surprising victory in the West Coast Conference tournament to become the fourth team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament with a losing record.
03-18-2006
