MORAGA, Calif. (Interstat) — Two West Coast Conference women’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Thursday when the Pepperdine Waves visit the Saint Mary’s Gaels at McKeon Pavilion.

The matchup is a quick rematch, as Pepperdine (11-8) earned a 60-52 home victory over Saint Mary’s (11-9) on Jan. 2. Both teams enter having lost close games last Saturday, with the Waves falling 69-68 to Oregon State and the Gaels dropping a 68-63 decision to Santa Clara.

Pepperdine will lean on guard Elli Guiney, who is coming off a dynamic 26-point performance in the narrow loss to the Beavers. Over her last eight games, Guiney has averaged 14.5 points, including two other 26-point outbursts. She scored 12 points with five assists in the earlier win over Saint Mary’s.

The Gaels will counter with guard Malia Latu, who posted 10 points and four assists against Santa Clara. In the Jan. 2 loss at Pepperdine, Latu was limited to 20 minutes but managed a team-high nine points.

Both teams have experienced recent struggles. Since the calendar turned to 2026, Pepperdine is 2-4, with three of those losses by three points or fewer. Saint Mary’s is 2-5 over the same stretch, with four losses coming by six points or fewer, highlighting the tight margins in conference play.

The Waves’ offense runs through Guiney, but they received balanced scoring in the first meeting, with Bella Green adding 11 points and Meghan Fiso contributing 10. Containing that trio will be a focus for a Saint Mary’s defense that allows an average of 60.2 points per game.

A win would provide a crucial conference boost for either side as they navigate the middle of the WCC schedule. Following this game, Pepperdine hosts Portland on Saturday, while Saint Mary’s travels to face Seattle.