MALIBU, Calif. --- Kate Andersen scored a career-best 24 points and Portland battled Pepperdine until the final buzzer, but the Waves rallied late and held on for an 83-79 win over the Pilots in a West Coast Conference women's basketball game on Thursday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. Andersen also corralled a career-best nine rebounds.
 
The Pilots (5-17, 1-10 WCC) led for most of the night, including early in the fourth quarter when it was a 67-60 game after Lisa Kaempf converted a lay-up. The Waves stayed close with the help of some free throws as the Pilots were hurt by foul trouble, but Portland's lead was still six with 7:30 remaining when Andersen connected from down low.
 
Slaga would help preserve Portland's lead when she knocked down a jumper, but Pepperdine's Kim Jacobs tied it 77-77 with a lay-in and 2:44 showing on the clock. Both teams then cooled off from the field as the score remained tied until Yasmine Robinson-Bacote's jumper pushed Pepperdine in front 79-77 with 42 seconds left.
 
At the other end of the floor a foul sent Kaempf to the line with a chance to tie, but the junior forward split a pair, keeping the deficit at one point and forcing the Pilots to foul. Two Pepperdine foul shots made the score 81-78 with only 10 ticks remaining, and the Pilots called a timeout to set up a final play.
 
Slaga then got a decent look at a corner three, but she left it short as the offensive board fell to Andersen, who the Waves fouled with only four seconds remaining. Andersen made the first before intentionally missing the second, but the ball didn't hit the rim as the ball went back to the Waves. Portland fouled on the in-bounds play, but the Waves hit both attempts from the line to seal the win.
 
Andersen was eight of 12 from the floor and hit two three-pointers en route to her career-high in points. Slaga also had two from behind the arc and finished with 19 points, and Rachelle Owens added 12 points and a career-best eight assists.
 
Robinson-Bacote poured in 31 points to go along with 10 boards, while Jacobs (21) and Paige Fecske (20) also reached the 20-point plateau.
 
Portland had more field goals than Pepperdine, 28-25, but the Waves had three more three's and out-scored the Pilots 24-17 at the line. The Pilots dominated the glass, 35-21.
 
Andersen was active early, scoring nine points during the first quarter. She hit a pair of three's during the opening frame as the Pilots and Waves were tied 19-19 after the first 10 minutes. Julie Spencer and Slaga then opened the second period with consecutive field goals to hand the Pilots a 23-19 edge.
 
Andersen added another bucket, and Slaga extended Portland's run to 11-2 when she buried a three-pointer to make it a 30-21 game with about six minutes left in the half. Moments later an Owens' jumper pushed the lead to double digits, but the Waves answered with a 16-2 run to end the half, allowing them to take a 39-36 lead at the break
 
Andersen scored 11 first-half points, while Slaga added 10.
 
Slaga continued her hot-shooting in the third quarter with seven quick points to hand the lead back to the Pilots. Owens added a pair of field goals, and Muhlheim buried one from deep as the Pilots took a 63-58 lead into the final quarter.
 
The Pilots next make the short trek to Los Angeles to face the Loyola Marymount Lions on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off at Gersten Pavilion is set for 2 p.m.