Prosperity Too Much for CSUN

Pepperdine set a school record with 10 three-point baskets and broke a two-game losing streak by defeating Cal State Northridge, 81-54, in a nonconference women’s basketball game at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Pepperdine (2-3) rebounded after losing to Radford and Houston last weekend in its own tournament, the Malibu Classic. The Waves blew halftime leads in those games, but didn’t let Northridge (1-4) off the hook after taking a 45-21 lead at intermission.

“We just had to put two good halves together,” Pepperdine Coach Mark Trakh said. “Our problem has been the first five minutes of the second half. Our kids have to learn to raise their level of intensity.”

Pepperdine appeared to do that against Northridge, extending its lead to 68-38 in the second half.

Reserve guard Cynthia Mayes scored 14 points, including three three-pointers in the first half when the Waves led by as many as 28.

Clare Walker scored 12 and made four three-pointers, as Pepperdine sank 10 of 25 shots from beyond the arc. The previous record was nine, set in a season-opening loss to Duke.

As usual, poor shooting was Northridge’s biggest problem. The Matadors made only eight of 35 shots (22.9%) in the first half. They finished the game shooting 33.9%, the first time in three games they shot better than 30%.

“Horrible,” Northridge Coach Michael Abraham said. “We’re getting pretty good looks [at the basket], but we don’t have a lot of skilled players capable of knocking those shots down.”

Center Maureen Batiste made all six of her shots and scored 15 points. Point guard Tammie Mills missed all 13 of her shots and managed just two free throws.

Northridge was scoreless for more than seven minutes as Pepperdine went on an 18-0 run to build a 38-10 lead late in the half.