Pepperdine Women’s Basketball huddles after securing a win against Southern Utah in Firestone Fieldhouse for the second round of the WNIT on March 22. The Waves pulled off the victory in a tight 85-80 final score. Photos courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics
Before March 2026, postseason basketball had never been played in Firestone Fieldhouse. After a seven-year drought, Pepperdine Women’s Basketball has made a successful return to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
After defeating UC Davis in the first round March 19, the Waves were back in action March 22 hosting Southern Utah for just the second time in program history. In a back-and-forth game across the floor, Pepperdine took down the Thunderbirds 85-80 to advance to the Super 16.
“It’s fun to play March,” Head Coach Katie Faulkner said. “I love this team. I love their heart. I love their finding a way and staying together with just a little bit of ‘ARGH’ at the end there.”
The ‘ARGH’ Faulkner is referring to are the ups and downs of the close second-round matchup. At the start of the 40 minutes, the visitors wasted no time, winning the opening tipoff and converting it to a score just four seconds into the game.
The Waves quickly responded when graduate guard Meghan Fiso drained a 3. The teams kept going back and forth until the last half of the first quarter, where the home team went on a 15-0 unanswered run to lead 26-12.
“In the past, we’ve had issues with being able to respond if someone goes on a run,” sophomore guard Elli Guiney said. “So now being able to respond immediately has been really cool.”
Graduate guard Meghan Fiso shoots against Southern Utah in Firestone Fieldhouse on March 22. Fiso finished with 16 points for the game.
While Pepperdine looked dominant in the first quarter, easily outrunning the Thunderbirds, the visiting team put themselves back in the fight for the second quarter.
Junior forward Ava Uhrich broke Southern Utah’s scoring drought with a basket and went on to tally up 10 points in this quarter alone. After 20 minutes of play, the Waves were only seven points ahead in a 45-38 score at halftime.
The theme for the second half of the game was speed. The Waves were crashing hard, sparking their quick transitions from junior guard Taija Sta. Maria’s opening bucket at the shot clock buzzer.
“My teammates’ confidence in me just helps so much,” Sta. Maria said. “I just play the game, take what they give me and it’s been working out.”
Despite the home team’s quick start, the Thunderbirds kept clawing back in the third quarter. Southern Utah was not backing down from the fight, proven by their 22-point third quarter that propelled them to a 68-60 tight score with only one quarter of regulation left.
From then on, Pepperdine focused on playing their game and not letting any scores or calls get in their head. Uhrich opened up the final ten minutes with a 3, but Sta. Maria quickly responded with a bucket and one.
The Thunderbirds proceeded to go on a 10-0 run with Uhrich scoring more buckets, finishing with a game-high 29 points. The Waves continued trying to break through Southern Utah as the clock ticked down, resulting in seven foul calls for the fourth quarter.
“We were trying to not just play behind, but dance around, get in front, make catches a lot harder,” Guiney said.
Pepperdine used these free throws to their advantage, closing out the Thunderbirds with a final score of 85-80. Sta. Maria was the hero for Pepperdine’s first-round win and continued to shine on the floor, scoring 22 points to lead the Waves to their second-round victory.
“March is when you want to be playing your best basketball,” Sta. Maria said. “I’m feeling great. My team’s feeling great in the locker room. I’m super happy for everyone and just the opportunity to keep playing with my teammates.”
Through both games, Sta. Maria saw the most time on the floor across both teams, racking up over 30 minutes in each 40.
“She never complains. She always responds,” Faulkner said. “She has a great ability to stay evenheaded and honestly consistent, and I value the consistency in this kid. She’s really stepped up in amazing ways, and I’m so proud of her.”
Sta. Maria isn’t the only Wave that’s stepped up. With junior guard Lina Falk sidelined after playing a crucial role in Pepperdine’s offense, many other players have filled in the gaps left with her absence.
“Everyone on our team is a threat,” Sta. Maria said. “When everyone’s scoring, I think that’s when we’re playing the most fun type of basketball. Knowing that it could be anyone on the court that’s going to score makes us so hard to guard, and then we all just have fun doing it.”
The Pepperdine Waves celebrate a win over Southern Utah in Firestone Fieldhouse on March 22. With this victory, Pepperdine advanced to the Super 16 with their next match set for March 26 in South Dakota.
In their win against Southern Utah, five different Waves scored double-digit points. One of these offensive threats is Guiney who scored 27 points and played all 40 minutes against UC Davis before draining 13 more points against the Thunderbirds.
These unexpected challenges and the tight scores represent the adversity Pepperdine’s team is able to overcome when they’re playing together, Guiney said.
“March: no one’s going down without a fight,” Guinet said. “In March, you just have to be ready to respond through any adversity.”
Through the adversity, the Waves said they are grateful they secured the win in what could have been the last game in historic Firestone Fieldhouse.
“Firestone did us well this year,” Guiney said. “We’re gonna miss it. We love playing at home. There’s something about playing in Malibu that our team just thrives with.”
Pepperdine Women’s Basketball will be on the road for their Super 16 matchup with the University of South Dakota. The Waves will tip off with the Coyotes on March 26 at 5 p.m. PST.
“We played them earlier this year, and it was a good matchup, but I think we’ve changed a lot since then, and it’s been a long time, so I can imagine they’ve changed a lot too,” Guiney said. “It’s a whole new game. It’s March, you just got to be ready to play.”
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