MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum to open the new year will meet Friday when the Saint Mary’s Gaels visit the Pepperdine Waves in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball matchup at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Both teams enter with identical 9-6 overall records but are looking to rebound from losses in their final games of 2025. The Gaels fell 63-57 to Oregon State on Tuesday, while the Waves were defeated 75-52 at Gonzaga the same day.

Saint Mary’s has relied on a strong defensive presence, holding opponents to an average of 60.1 points per game during nonconference play. However, their offense has struggled at times, most recently in back-to-back home losses to Portland and Oregon State. Guard Abigail Shoff has been a bright spot, averaging 9.0 points per game and coming off a 14-point performance against the Beavers.

Pepperdine’s season has been marked by close contests, including an overtime loss to North Dakota State and a narrow three-point defeat at Washington State. The Waves’ offense runs through guard Taija Sta Maria, who leads the team in scoring at 7.1 points per game and is coming off a 16-point effort at Gonzaga.

Historically, Pepperdine has controlled the series, winning seven of the last ten meetings. The teams will face each other again in Moraga on Jan. 22.

For Saint Mary’s, finding consistent scoring beyond Shoff and Emily Foy, who had 15 points against Oregon State, will be critical. Pepperdine will look to leverage its home court advantage and distribute the scoring load more evenly to support Sta Maria.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. PST Friday and is the conference opener for both programs. The Gaels travel to face San Diego on Sunday, while Pepperdine hosts Loyola Marymount next Thursday.