JANE LEE
Sports Editor
Just two days before the Pepperdine men’s basketball team suffered a 25-point loss to the hands of national powerhouse Gonzaga, the women’s basketball team made a statement of its own while visiting the Bulldogs.
Led by sophomore Daphanie Kennedy’s game-high 16 points, Pepperdine (3-5, 10-13) ended Gonzaga’s seven-game win streak by pulling out a 70-56 upset over the highly favored Zags on national television. The loss was the first in West Coast Conference play for Gonzaga (7-1, 15-9) this season.
“That win was great,” freshman Miranda Ayim said. “We were really looking forward to the game, and we wanted to get a win on their court because they beat us on our home court back in January.”
Junior Nakeya Isabell and freshman Miranda Ayim’s 12 points, along with freshman Teena Wickett’s 10, paved the way for the Waves, who set the school record for fewest points in a game in a 58-35 loss in the team’s first meeting with the Bulldogs.
Wickett, the WCC’s Player of the Week for the second time this season, also added a game-high 11 rebounds for her team-leading fifth double-double of the year.
The Waves used a balance attack and strong defense to hold Gonzaga to just 31.3 percent shooting from the floor.
Pepperdine never trailed in the game after opening the night on a 7-0 run, outscoring the Zags 18-4 in the paint with a 14-5 edge in points off turnovers.
“The season’s been up and down with injuries and different lineups, so that was a big win for us,” Ayim said. “I think, overall, we’ve really improved with communicating out on the court.”
The Waves kept the season on a high note when they traveled to Portland two days later. Senior Lauren Wenski scored a season-high 16 points, including four three-pointers, as Pepperdine picked up its third straight WCC victory with a 72-45 blowout of the Pilots.
Sophomore Jessica Ross added 11 points while junior Teiosha George added eight points and seven rebounds and junior Shannon Johnson tallied nine points.
With the three recent wins, the Waves are hoping to catch a stride heading into the last few weeks of conference play, much like they did last season by winning five of their final seven regular-season games.
“We’re hoping we’ve got the momentum to keep this thing going,” Ayim said. “We’ve been working on team chemistry, so we’re doing better playing as a team and communicating more.”
Waves fans have a chance to watch the hot-handed women’s team in action tonight against San Francisco beginning at 7 p.m. at Firestone Fieldhouse. They will also host San Diego on Saturday at 2 p.m.
According to Ayim, the main keys to continued success on the court will be “good defense, taking care of the ball, and then executing when we need to.”
02-08-2007
