Junior guard Taija Sta. Maria shoots the game-winning 3-pointer against UC Davis at Firestone Fieldhouse on March 19. The basket led them to advance to the second round of the WNIT, where they would defeat Southern Utah. Photo by Ava Walton
Pepperdine Women’s Basketball faced the University of South Dakota Coyotes on March 26 at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Abbott Court in Vermillion, S.D., falling 73-57 in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) round of Super 16.
The Waves closed their season with an overall record of 21-13 and 10-8 in West Coast Conference play. Pepperdine entered the WNIT with momentum, defeating UC Davis 71-68 in the opening round and Southern Utah 85-80 in the second.
Entering the Super 16 of the tournament against South Dakota, Pepperdine struggled to find their rhythm early despite winning the opening tip, according to Pepperdine Athletics. It was not until the 5:16 mark of the first quarter that freshman guard Seleh Harmon downed a 3-pointer to put the Waves on the board with a score of 14-3.
After a scoreless opening stretch from both teams for the first three minutes, Patience Williams, South Dakota senior forward, set the pace for the Coyotes, knocking down a 3-pointer at 8:06 in the first quarter. Williams finished the game with 20 points and nine rebounds, earning 16 of those points in the first quarter. Senior guard Angelina Robles added another 20 points and junior guard Molly Joyce recorded a team-high of five assists.
As a team, the Coyotes controlled the game from the start, opening a commanding 32-9 lead in the first quarter, and continuing to lead each quarter after, shooting 48% from beyond the arc and 47% from the field.
Pepperdine found more balance in the second quarter, as both teams scored 19 points, according to Pepperdine Athletics. Graduate guard Ivory Finley led the Waves with five points in the quarter, while junior guard Taija Sta. Maria and graduate guard Bella Green each contributed four. While spreading points across Pepperdine’s roster, the Waves still trailed the Coyotes 51-28 at halftime.
The Waves were able to respond defensively in the third quarter, holding South Dakota to just nine points over the 10-minute stretch. Sophomore guard Elli Guiney led Pepperdine with five points in the quarter. Overall, Guiney leads the Waves in scoring with 14.9 PPG, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Pepperdine battled to control the game, but the early deficit proved too large to overcome. Despite outscoring the Coyotes in both the third and fourth quarters and forcing a total of 11 turnovers, the Waves were unable to close the gap, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
South Dakota maintained control throughout, carrying a double-digit lead of 16 into the fourth quarter and never relinquishing it.
Pepperdine’s offense was outmatched compared to the Coyotes’ offensive efficiency, finishing the game with 40% shot from the field and 39% from three. Guiney led the team with 16 points, followed by senior forward Irune Orio with nine and Sta. Maria leading a team-high of five assists.
Junior guard Lina Falk reaches for the reverse layup against Washington State on Feb. 7 at Firestone Fieldhouse. Pepperdine defeated the Cougars 78-62 in one of their final home games of the regular season before the WNIT. Photo by Amelie Sears
The matchup marked the third meeting between the programs in series history and the second this season. Pepperdine defeated South Dakota 73-65 in December at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, but the Coyotes secured their first win in program history over the Waves with Thursday’s result, according to the University of South Dakota’s Women’s Basketball page.
Pepperdine Women’s Basketball ends its historic run in the WNIT Super 16, finishing the tournament 2-1 and tying the longest postseason run in program history, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
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Contact Genevieve Cantu via email: genevieve.cantu@pepperdine.edu