DAVID NAKAGAMI
Sports Assistant
As Pepperdine’s 2006-2007 regular season concluded play, Pepperdine hovered in mediocrity. In their last two games on the season schedule, the Waves split the two contests, losing to the Gaels of St. Mary’s 70-64 before upending Santa Clara 77-69 in the finale.
Coming off a bitter loss at home against Loyola Marymount during Homecoming Weekend, Pepperdine looked to rebound with a win over St. Mary’s. The Waves dominated early in the first half, pulling away with a lead of 15 points. The Gaels went on an 8-0 run within a span of two minutes and narrowed the Pep margin to seven with six minutes to play before halftime. A bucket by forward/center Teena Wickett from inside the paint gave Pepperdine a 37-32 lead going into the locker room.
The tide of the game changed quickly from the outset of the second half, with the Gaels bursting out of the gate on an 18-5 streak, giving St. Mary’s their first lead. Two free throws by junior guard Nakeya Isabell and a three-pointer by sharpshooter Jessica Ross got Pepperdine into striking distance, with the scoreboard showing 65-62 in the Gaels’ advantage. However, that is the closest the score would get, as a pair of free throws by St. Mary’s Maija Lahde effectively sealed the win for the host Gaels.
Lahde led all players with 22 points on 6-12 shooting from the field, including a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc. Lahde added nine rebounds, seven steals, two assists and two blocks to the Gaels’ winning effort. Teammate Eghosa Obaiza contributed a double-double, with 10 points and 12 boards.
The Waves were led by center Teiosha George, who recorded 11 points and six rebounds in 16 minutes of playing time. Wickett, an All-West Coast Conference First Team and All-WCC Freshman Team honoree, tallied nine points and nine boards to go along with four helpers and three take-aways.
Pepperdine looked to end the regular season on a high note and enter the WCC Tournament with momentum by defeating Santa Clara in their regular season finale, and they would accomplish that goal.
The score was close in the first 20 minutes of play, the lead switching hands nine times before the buzzer at the halfway mark of the game. A late basket from distance by second-year player Taylor Smith put Pepperdine up by a point with 3:29 to play, and the Waves were able to hold onto the lead, the tally 30-27 at halftime.
Although the Broncos were able to wrestle the advantage away at the start of the second half, the Waves countered by stringing together a 14-3 run, raising their lead to 16 points. The visitors would not relinquish the lead, allowing Santa Clara to get within three points before slamming the door shut with a 77-69 final tally.
The win helped Pepperdine finish with an in-conference record of 6-8 and an overall record of 13-16. Of more importance is that the victory gives the Waves added confidence and force heading into the WCC Tournament.
“We have a little momentum going into the tournament,” Ross said. “We can win as many games as we want to.”
Pepperdine knows a little about momentum, as it helped them capture last year’s WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
This year’s conference tournament begins Thursday, March 12, and will be hosted by the University of Portland. Defending champion Pepperdine is seeded fifth in the eight-team WCC, and is matched up to play four-seed Saint Mary’s on Thursday night. In their two meetings during the regular season, the Waves and the Gaels have split the contests, with each game decided by a three-point margin.
“The nice thing about the postseason is that it’s a clean slate,” Ross said.
The winner of the Pepperdine-St. Mary’s matchup will face the victor of three-seed LMU and sixth-seeded Santa Clara on Saturday in the semifinals. The winner of the other half of the bracket will meet the team that emerges from the semifinal on Sunday in the championship game televised live on CSTV beginning at 1 p.m.
03-01-2007