Pepperdine Hosts Thanksgiving Tournament

Waves Welcome Seton Hall, South Dakota and Wyoming to Malibu

Kelsey Patrick and the Waves host Thanksgiving Classic this weekend

Nov. 21, 2012

GAME NOTES | WAVES THANKSGIVING VIDEO | 2012-13 PEPPERDINE ALMANAC

THIS WEEK FOR THE WAVES: Pepperdine hosts its first Thanksgiving tournament in five years when it welcomes Seton Hall, South Dakota State and Wyoming to Malibu November 23-24. The Waves seek their first home win of the season Friday afternoon against South Dakota.

COVERAGE: Fans unable to make it to Malibu for the Thanksgiving Classic can check out the games streamed live online via WaveCasts on PepperdineSports.com. Nick Law will have the call for the Waves and Coyotes.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: 2012-13 BULLETS

After just three games, Waves are averaging 11.7 steals per game and have forced 24.7 turnovers per contest.
Pepperdine dished 20 assists in its season-opening 83-68 win at UC Davis (11/9/12).
Waves are shooting better from 3-point range .467 (21-45) than overall from the field .415 (73-176).
In three games, Pepperdine has scored 67 points (22.3 ppg) off turnovers.
Shay Cooney-Williams had 18 assists last season in 29 games. This season the senior guard has 13 in three contests.
Ea Shoushtari eclipsed her 2011-12 point tally (22) in just two games, averaging 12.5 ppg. The sophomore guard played in 28 2011-12 games.
Despite losing nearly 75 percent of its scoring from a year ago, Pepperdine is averaging 70.0 points per game.

TOURNAMENT NOTE: Pepperdine will play in the 3:30 p.m. contest both Friday and Saturday. If Saturday’s championship game does not involve the Waves, tip-off for the title game will be at 1:00 p.m.

WAVES IN TOURNAMENTS: Pepperdine won the 2011 New Mexico Thanksgiving Tournament in their last in-season tournament. The Waves opened with a 57-48 victory against Idaho before taking a thrilling 59-56 overtime triumph against the host Lobos in The Pit.

THANKSGIVING CLASSIC NOTES

Pepperdine will resume its annual Thanksgiving Tournament Nov. 23-24 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
The Waves welcome Seton Hall (2-2), South Dakota State (1-2) and Wyoming (2-0) to Malibu for the 2012 Pepperdine Thanksgiving Classic.
Friday the Waves host South Dakota at 3:30 p.m. in the first meeting between the two teams.
Pepperdine has played both Seton Hall (1-0) and Wyoming (3-4).
Pepperdine is 3-0 vs. Wyoming in Firestone and 0-4 in Laramie and neutral sites.
The Waves last met the Cowgirls in an 88-64 win in Malibu during the 1995-96 season.
The first time Pepperdine squared off against Wyoming was the 1982-83 campaign, when the Cowgirls took a 88-72 win in Laramie.
Pepperdine seized a 77-67 road victory against the Pirates in 1999-00 in the only meeting between the two squads.
Pepperdine took runner-up honors the last time it hosted a Thanksgiving tournament - 2008’s Timeout for HIV/AIDS Tournament. The Waves beat Coppin State 54-36 before falling to Texas A&M 70-60 in the title game.

GAME FOUR VS. SOUTH DAKOTA: Friday (Nov. 23) at Firestone Fieldhouse, Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine (1-2) vs. SD (1-3) at 3:30 p.m.

LAST MEETINGS: First meeting

SERIES RECORD/STREAK: First meeting.

LAST GAME FOR SD: at Creighton 53, South Dakota 49 (11/20/12)

ON THE AIR/ON THE WEB:

Internet Audio: Yes - PepperdineSports.com (WaveCasts)

GameTracker: Yes - PepperdineSports.com

Tournament Opponents Official Websites: Seton Hall: SHUPirates.com; South Dakota: GoYotes.com; Wyoming: GoWyo.com

GAME FIVE - SETON HALL /WYOMING: Consolation/Championship game opponent on Saturday.

SETON HALL LAST MEETING: Pepperdine 77, at Seton Hall 67 (11/30/99)

SERIES RECORD/STREAK: Pepperdine leads 1-0/Pepperdine won one.

WYOMING LAST MEETINGS: at Pepperdine 86, Wyoming 64 (12/31/95); at Wyoming 66, Pepperdine 53 (1/8/95)

SERIES RECORD/STREAK: Pepperdine trails 3-2/Pepperdine won one.

WYOMING SERIES NOTE: Pepperdine has won both prior games in Malibu, while the Cowgirls are 2-0 at home, 1-0 in neutral site contests.

USC RECAP: Pepperdine led early, but could not pull off the win, dropping a 65-56 decision to USC Sunday afternoon at the Galen Center. The Waves forced 24 turnovers, but lost the rebounding battle 47-31.

Tessa Emerson’s mom, Holly (Ford), was an All-American at USC during the Cheryl Miller era
Pepperdine swiped a season-low 10 steals, but have reached double-digit thefts in each of its first three games
The Waves will host crosstown opponent UCLA December 28 in their second and final game against the Pac-12 this season
Pepperdine still seeks its first win in the all-time series vs. USC (0-19).

CALL ME MAYBE(RRY): Robie Mayberry (Oakland, Calif./Bishop O’Dowd HS) leads Pepperdine in scoring (17.3), field goal percentage (.515), free throw percentage (.929) and rebounds (6.3) this season.

A DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR COONEY-WILLIAMS: Shay Cooney-Willams (Frisco, Texas/Frisco HS) turned in the first double-double of her Pepperdine career with a 14-point, 10-rebound effort at USC (11/18/12). The 10 boards were a career-high and the most by a Wave this season.

NEXT UP FOR THE WAVES: Pepperdine closes out the month of November with a trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on Washington Tuesday, November 27 in Seattle. The Waves open December with a long road trip to the South to tackle Arkansas Sunday December 2.

EARLY RETURN(ERS): Pepperdine returns just .275 of its scoring offense from the 2011-12 season. The Waves returners have already shown signs of being able to step up offensively.

After just two games, three Waves eclipsed their 2011-12 scoring output - Grace Leah Baughn (13-8), Bria Richardson (20-14) and Ea Shoushtari (25-22).
Returning Waves account for .916 of the total offense so far (193 points), averaging 64.3 points per game.
With 52 points in her first three games, Robie Mayberry needs just 23 points to match her 2011-12 season tally in 17 contests.

FOLLOW AND LIKE WAVES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Be sure and join Pepperdine’s growing communities on Facebook and Twitter. Follow and like the Waves today. Facebook: Pepperdine Women’s Basketball Twitter: @PEPPWBKB

GETTING IT STARTED IN STYLE: Since game-by-game records started being kept prior to the 1976-77 campaign, Pepperdine owns a 22-15 record in season openers. After upending UC Davis 83-68 on the road, the Waves have won five of their last six season debuts. The only blemish was a 89-57 decision at perennial national power Tennessee to kick off the 2011-12 campaign.

POLL PROGNOSTICATIONS: Pepperdine was picked to finish fifth in the 2012-13 West Coast Conference Coaches Poll. The Waves did not have a selection on the preseason all-WCC team.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY: Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men’s sports -- one of just 16 schools to have accomplished this feat -- and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest enrollment and is the only school not associated with a BCS conference. Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation’s most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks No. 54 overall on U.S. News and World Report’s list of America’s best colleges.

Head Coach Ryan Weisenberg

2012-13 Season

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