Junior guard Taija Sta. Maria launches the winning three-pointer over the Aggies defender to lift Pepperdine over UC Davis at Firestone Fieldhouse on March 19. The basket was three of Sta. Maria’s 11 points in the fourth quarter. Photo by Ava Walton
Junior guard Taija Sta. Maria hit the step-back three pointer as the clock expired to give Pepperdine Women’s Basketball a 71-68 victory over UC Davis at Firestone Fieldhouse on March 19. With this win, the Waves advance to the second round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament where they take on Southern Utah at Firestone Fieldhouse on March 22 at 2 p.m.
Ten days removed from game action, the Waves entered the tournament shaking off some rust. Head Coach Katie Faulkner said the start of the game reflected that.
“Not having a game in 10 days — there’s so many weird things,” Faulkner said. “Shaking off the cobwebs, remembering what execution feels like, remembering what our offense feels like.”
First Quarter
Pepperdine won the tip but immediately found themselves in a back-and-forth rhythm with UC Davis. UC Davis got the first points of the night with a reverse layup, followed by a floater from the post on junior forward Shorna Preston.
Sophomore guard Elli Guiney responded with a 3-pointer to end the Waves scoring drought. Graduate guard Meghan Fiso added to the Waves’ point total with a strong drive to the hole and a tough layup over two Aggie defenders.
Then, the Aggies got two fastbreak layups off Sta. Maria turnovers to lead 15-9. Pepperdine called their first timeout of the game with 4:22 left in the first quarter.
The rest of the quarter, the Waves shortened the deficit off Guiney’s back-to-back 3’s and help from the home crowd to bring the Aggies’ lead to just two by the quarter’s end.
The Waves’ crowd brought the energy, with the Men’s Water Polo team having the loudest presence on a night where the Aggies shot 67% from the free throw line.
Guiney said the team fed off the energy the home crowd provided.
“Just having the community here was awesome,” Guiney said. “So hopefully they can get out to our game on Sunday because it does make a difference, and that joy and energy carries us.”
Second Quarter
The second quarter opened with both teams being active on defense. Pepperdine ramped up their pressure, forcing multiple traps near the baseline to get Aggies’ players to turn the ball over, even forcing the visitors into a shot clock violation.
“Our team is very connected defensively,” Sta. Maria said. “We try to move on a string, and that helps us when we know that someone has our back.”
Fiso opened the scoring with a top-of-the-key 3, while the Waves generated better looks through pick and roll plays between Sta. Maria and Preston in the paint.
UC Davis still managed to answer back through points in the paint, but the Waves eventually matched their aggressiveness and drew offensive fouls to frustrate the Aggie forwards.
Pepperdine stayed composed, closing the quarter with graduate guard Ivory Finley‘s buzzer-beating floater to stretch the Waves lead to three. Pepperdine led 39-36 at half.
Third Quarter
UC Davis opened the third quarter with smart cuts and screens to get players open underneath the basket for easy layups. But, Pepperdine answered with a Guiney 3-pointer to reclaim the lead, 42-41.
The Aggies continued to play suffocating defense, limiting the Waves to 29% from the field and just 13 points in the quarter — the lowest quarter total in the game.
By the end of the third quarter, UC Davis had a 56-54 lead over Pepperdine.
Fourth Quarter
UC Davis briefly extended their lead to four, however Fiso’s blocks anchored the Waves’ defense. A minute later, Sta. Maria intercepted an errant pass from the Aggies’ guard to give Pepperdine the lead again.
At the four minute mark, Guiney delivered a deep 3 that got loud reactions from the crowd at Firestone.
Sta. Maria and graduate guard Bella Green knocked down free throws to build an 8-point lead with under two minutes remaining.
But UC Davis battled back.
Two late Aggie 3-pointers, followed by a fast-break finish off a steal, tied the game at 68.
Pepperdine called a timeout with seven seconds left.
Final Possession
Graduate guard Meghan Fiso (right) celebrates with junior guard Taija Sta. Maria (left) after Sta. Maria’s buzzer-beater over UC Davis at Firestone Fieldhouse on March 19. Sta. Maria’s buzzer-beating three pointer gave the program its first ever postseason win at Firestone Fieldhouse. Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics
Out of the timeout, the Aggies deflected the inbound from Guiney, giving the Waves time to get set again.
Guiney inbounded the ball to Green who quickly looked for the outlet pass to Sta. Maria. With the crowd counting down, Sta. Maria drove into the defender and used her body to create space on the stepback. Tightly contested, Sta. Maria heaved a buzzer-beating three-pointer that sent Firestone Fieldhouse into a frenzy.
Sta. Maria said she had to be prepared these high intense moments, especially in March.
“It’s March, so you got to step up,” Sta. Maria said. “It was all about that moment and leaning on your skills at that moment.”
In front of a season-high crowd of 438 at Firestone Fieldhouse, Guiney led all scorers with 27 points, shooting 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. Sta. Maria added 13 points and six assists. Pepperdine controlled the glass with a 44–31 rebounding advantage and converted 13 second-chance points.
After the thrilling victory, Faulkner said she’s proud of how the team responded.
“This is a team that thrives on growth. This is a team that’s dedicated to getting better, and I’m really just proud of seeing it,” Faulkner said. “These kids are the real deal, and every single one of them stepped up today, and I’m really proud of that.”
With the Waves’ last postseason appearance coming seven years ago, Faulkner said the win is more than a one-off result, calling it a sign of something bigger for the program.
“This is a program that will play in March, and that’s the standard,” Faulkner said.
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Contact Marcos Lizarraga by email: marcos.lizarraga@pepperdine.edu