MORAGA, Calif. - After bouncing back with a 20-point win over Pacific last Saturday, Saint Mary's returns to UCU Pavilion this Thursday to take on Pepperdine, seeking their sixth conference victory of the season. The Gaels are riding a four-game win streak over the Waves in their series history and will look to keep pace with their 7-2 WCC start from 2015 with a win Thursday night. They currently sit in a five-way tie for first along with Portland, Gonzaga, Washington State and San Francisco.
GAME COVERAGE
WBB | Saint Mary's vs. Pepperdine| Moraga, Calif.
UCU Pavilion | Thursday, January 16th | 6:30 PM
Live Stats |
ESPN+ |
Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Crowded at the Top…
Saint Mary's dropped their second straight conference game to Washington State to start last week but bounced back with a dominant 20-point win over Pacific to sweep the season series with the Tigers for the first time since 2022. As a result, the Gaels are now 5-2 in WCC play and sit in a five-way tie for first along with Portland, Washington State, Gonzaga and San Francisco.
Foy Catching Fire from Downtown…
Emily Foy led the charge Saturday night against Pacific with a career high 18 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three. She leads the team with 28 made threes on 43% shooting while they rank second in the WCC in three-point shooting at 34%.
Emily Foy and
Maia Jones are shooting a combined 41% from that mark to lead the team. Foy has more than doubled her scoring average from her freshman season and continues to be a crucial part of the Gaels perimeter shooting.
Win the Glass, Win the Game…
The Gaels also forced 22 Pacific turnovers and were +11 on the glass for the first time since December 21st. Rebounding continues to be a key statistic for the Gaels as they are 5-1 on the season when they out-rebound their opponents.
Abigail Shoff led the team with eight boards in their 64-44 victory over Pacific. When Saint Mary's can stay within +/-10 rebounds and shoot the three ball above 35% they become a difficult team to beat on a nightly basis.
Series History…
The Gaels are currently riding a four-game win streak over the Waves dating back to 2023 and have won those games by an average of 16.5 points. They hold an all-time record of 28-18 dating back to 2002 and have not lost to Pepperdine at home since 2019.
ABOUT THE WAVES (WCC)
The Pepperdine Waves sit at 6-8 overall and 1-4 in conference play. They are one of just three teams in the WCC with one win or less as five of their six wins on the season came during their non-conference schedule. The Waves have lost five of their last six games but picked up their first WCC win earlier this month over San Diego, 63-49.
With the LA fires affecting their conference schedule, their games against Portland and LMU were postponed and have yet to be made up. Pepperdine is dead last in the WCC averaging just 61 points per game and giving up 66.6 points per game for third most. Pepperdine has two double digit scorers in Ella Brubaker and Chloe Sotell. When the Waves shoot over 40% from the field, they are 6-1. Pepperdine only turns the ball over 14.8 times per game, good for fifth fewest in the conference so if they can keep the ball and get to the rim they can have success.
The last time Pepperdine beat Saint Mary's was in 2022 in a 70-65 overtime win. Katie Faulkner is in her first season with the Wave after being hired last spring, she is the program's tenth head coach after coming over from the University of Washington as the Associate Head Coach.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 PM this Thursday, January 16th. Stream the game live on ESPN+ and tickets can be bought online at smcgales.com/tickets.
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