Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Basketball Resumes Home Slate Against Pepperdine
April 15, 2003 | Cowgirl Basketball
ABOUT THE WAVES Pepperdine (2-3) comes to town after a 64-63 loss on Wednesday night to Southern California at home. The Waves opened the 2002-03 season with back-to-back setbacks to Xavier (62-54) and Arizona (80-68) before bouncing back with an 89-60 win over St. John's and a 76-67 overtime win against Wisconsin before their loss to the Trojans. The only previous meeting between Oklahoma State and Pepperdine occurred on Dec. 12, 1987, in Malibu at the Pepperdine Tournament where the Cowgirls prevailed 81-76.
MORE ABOUT THE WAVES Saturday's contest will be a homecoming of sorts for Pepperdine junior Shannon Mayberry. The 6-4 center competed at the prep level for Sante Fe High School in Edmond. OSU traveled to Malibu last season for the Pepperdine Holiday Classic, but did not meet the Waves in the four-team tournament. Junior guard Shandrika Lee has come out of the gate quickly this season, averaging a team-best 17.4 points per outing, hitting at a 49-percent clip from the floor, while dishing out a team-high 11 assists. The Waves were picked to finish second in the preseason West Coast Conference coaches poll behind Saint Mary's. Pepperdine received one first-place vote and 41 total points, coming in eight points behind the Gaels.
LAST TIME OUT Oklahoma State split a pair of contests last weekend in Tempe, Ariz., finishing the ASU Holiday Classic with a third-place finish. The Cowgirls opened the tournament with an 84-77 loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee before bouncing back in the consolation game with a resounding 68-51 win over Portland State. In the loss to UWM, junior Trisha Skibbe poured in a team best 20 points and pulled a team-high seven rebounds. However, the Cowgirls could not overcome a hot-shooting Panther squad that hit 51 percent (27-of-53) from the floor. Against PSU, senior guards Shelby Hutchens and Thia Willis led the offensive attack with each turning in 16-point performances.
