The defending NAIA national-champion Westmont women’s basketball team opened its 2013-14 season with a narrow loss to Pepperdine in an exhibition game.
Amanda Lovely’s putback with 2.9 seconds left lifted the Waves to a 57-55 win over the Warriors.
Pepperdine led by as many as 12 in the second half but the Warriors fought back and tied the score at 55-55 on a 3-pointer by Celina Gougis with 1:04 to play.
Pepperdine kept the ball for the next minute of action, as Lovely pulled down three separate offensive rebounds. The Warriors weren’t able to get a final shot off before the buzzer sounded.
Westmont put three players in double-figures, led by Esther Lee’s 13 points. Gougis scored 12 points and had five assists, and Kelsie Sampson tallied 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
The Warriors play another exhibition game Friday at USC.
