MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Lina Falk scored 26 points to lead Pepperdine to a 71-53 victory over Pacific in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves established control early, opening a 21-11 lead after the first quarter and never trailing. The Tigers could not overcome Pepperdine’s efficient offense, which committed only seven turnovers and converted them into 16 points. Pacific turned the ball over 13 times. Falk, a sophomore from Wolfsburg, Germany, led all scorers. Winner Bartholomew paced Pacific with 19 points. Pepperdine improved to 11-7 overall, while Pacific fell to 7-10.

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Lina Falk scored 26 points and Pepperdine used a dominant first quarter to set the tone for a 71-53 victory over Pacific in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves, improving to 11-7 overall, opened the game on a 17-2 run and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire to hand the Tigers their third consecutive conference loss. Pacific fell to 7-10. The most critical phase of the game was its inception. Pepperdine established immediate control, holding Pacific scoreless for nearly the first five minutes while building a double-digit lead. Falk, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Wolfsburg, Germany, was instrumental in the early surge, scoring eight of her game-high total during the opening run. She connected on two three-pointers and a layup, showcasing the inside-out versatility that Pacific struggled to contain all evening. Pacific, which shot just 33.9 percent from the field for the game, could never fully recover from the initial deficit. The Tigers cut the lead to nine points late in the second quarter, but Pepperdine answered with a 7-0 spurt to close the half, taking a 37-26 advantage into the break. The Waves then opened the third quarter with a 7-2 run to push the lead back to 16 points, effectively extinguishing any lingering momentum for the visitors. Falk’s 26-point performance on 10-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, was a season-high and marked a significant offensive resurgence after she was held to 12 and 10 points in Pepperdine’s two previous contests. She added three assists and a block in 35 minutes. Pacific was led by Winner Bartholomew, a 6-1 sophomore from Abuja, Nigeria, who fought hard for 19 points and seven rebounds. Sydney Ward added 10 points and two blocks for the Tigers. Their efforts, however, were undermined by a stagnant offense that managed only four total assists against 13 turnovers. Pepperdine capitalized on those miscues, scoring 16 points off turnovers compared to just six for Pacific. Pepperdine’s backcourt balance complemented Falk’s standout night. Meghan Fiso of Seattle contributed 12 points and a game-high five assists, while Ivory Finley of Minneapolis added 10 points. The Waves shot 43.5 percent from the field and a efficient 35 percent from three-point range. Defensively, they limited Pacific to a frigid 17.6 percent shooting from deep. The game’s statistical profile highlighted Pepperdine’s efficiency. Despite running one fewer possession than Pacific, the Waves scored 18 more points, posting an offensive rating of 106.4 compared to the Tigers’ 78.3. Pepperdine also committed only seven turnovers, a season-low, which allowed them to maintain control of the tempo throughout. A crowd of 288 at Firestone Fieldhouse saw Pepperdine snap a two-game skid and even its conference record. Pacific, which entered the game with a slight favoritism according to advanced metrics, has now lost five of its last six games. Both teams return to conference play Saturday. Pepperdine will host Oregon State, while Pacific returns home to face Loyola Marymount.

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — The Pepperdine Waves will look to halt a two-game skid when they host the Pacific Tigers in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball matchup Thursday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. Pepperdine (10-7) enters the contest after a pair of narrow road losses, falling 54-51 at San Diego last Saturday and 83-78 in overtime to Loyola Marymount on Jan. 8. The Waves have relied heavily on guard Meghan Fiso, who leads the team in scoring during conference play. She is coming off a 16-point, three-assist performance against San Diego and averaged 14.3 points over her last three games. Pacific (7-9) seeks to end a three-game losing streak, with its most recent defeat a 60-55 home loss to Saint Mary’s on Jan. 8. The Tigers have struggled on the road this season, dropping their last two away games by an average of 20.5 points. A key matchup will feature Pacific’s Winner Bartholomew against Pepperdine’s defensive efforts. Bartholomew has been a bright spot for the Tigers, scoring 19 points against Saint Mary’s and averaging 12.4 points over her last five contests. Containing her will be a priority for a Waves defense allowing just 62.9 points per game at home. Pepperdine holds a distinct advantage in the standings and will aim to protect its home court, where it is 6-2 this season. Pacific, meanwhile, needs a conference road victory to stabilize its season before returning home to face Loyola Marymount on Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. PST tipoff.