JANE LEE
Assistant Sports Editor
The Pepperdine women’s basketball team is riding the high waves these days, as it captured victories over Gonzaga and Portland at Firestone Fieldhouse to extend its win streak to three.
“Although we are not resting on our most recent performances, we are pleased to be in second place with four games under our belt,” Head Coach Julie Rousseau said.
The Waves (3-1, 5-11) kicked off the home stand Jan. 12 by garnering a 59-58 overtime victory and snapping Gonzaga’s 19-game West Coast Conference regular-season win streak.
Pepperdine freshman Jessica Ross’ steal from a Bulldog opponent with 28 seconds left in overtime and blocked shot of another Bulldog sealed the win for the Waves.
The Waves had led by four with just 31 seconds left in the game. Gonzaga (2-2, 7-12) scored the final four points of regulation, capped off by a pair of free throws with seven seconds on the clock as Pepperdine was forced to enter its second overtime game of the season.
In the early stages of the game, the Bulldogs scored the first two points of the night, but Pepperdine quickly evened the score and never trailed the rest of the half.
The Waves relied on high-intensity defensive play during the first half, limiting Gonzaga to just 13 percent shooting en route to a 19-6 lead.
The Bulldogs’ offensive struggles would continue as Pepperdine began to apply full-court pressure in the second period.
The Waves’ defense proved steady, as Gonzaga committed 10 turnovers and connected on just one of 12 shots from the floor with less than seven minutes remaining. Pepperdine tallied a 27-14 advantage at the half.
A 15-8 run to open the second half of the game pulled Gonzaga to within six at 35-29.
With 7:23 remaining, a Bulldog layup and converted free throw gave Gonzaga a 44-42 lead, their first since the opening moments of the game.
The Waves, however, would answer the challenge as junior Jasmane Clarendon hit a shot at the 6:20 mark to put Pepperdine ahead, 48-47.
Clarendon led all scorers with 13 points on the night, while sophomore Teiosha George chipped in with 11 and sophomore Daphanie Kennedy added 10 for the Waves.
Two days later, Pepperdine enjoyed a double-digit lead for much of the second half, grabbing a 62-52 victory over Portland (2-2, 8-10).
The Waves, who weren’t used to playing from behind much in the first half of its WCC games this season, responded to being down by as many as six by scoring 12 of the next 14 points to take a 23-19 lead midway through the first half.
In the second period the Waves used a 7-0 run to take a 34-23 lead, but the Pilots would rally back to cut the score to 36-31 at the break.
Pepperdine continued its success at the free throw line in the first half, connecting on all nine attempts. The Waves have now hit 24 of 25 free throws in the first half of its WCC contests this season.
Down by 13 in the second half, Portland used a 9-0 run to pull within four, but the Pilots wouldn’t get any closer as the Waves scored nine of the final 12 points in the game.
Kennedy and George led the Waves in scoring with 13 points each.
“It was fun and exciting to win last week’s games, but they are over and we have to keep moving forward and improving as conference play gets tougher,” Rousseau said. “We have come a long way and I can’t wait to see how far we go with our God-given gifts.”
Rousseau said the good news is that her team has more room for improvement, and that keeps her motivated.
“Getting the best out of your student-athletes is always the biggest challenge,” she said.
Pepperdine will be in action tonight at 7 when it travels to Santa Clara to take on the Broncos. The short two-game road trip will conclude Saturday afternoon against Saint Mary’s.
“The road trip will be tough,” Rousseau said, “but hopefully we’ll draw from the experiences we’ve had this year and the tough games we’ve played on the road.”
01-19-2006
