MALIBU, Calif. --- Cassandra Brown scored 19 points, Kari Luttinen had 18 and the Pilots nearly completed an improbable comeback in the closing minute, but the Pepperdine Waves held on for a 76-72 win in a West Coast Conference women's basketball game played on Thursday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. Cassandra Thompson and Jasmine Wooton both added 11 points in the loss.
 
After leading by three at the half, the Waves (7-18, 2-12 WCC) repeatedly tried to pull away during the opening minutes of the second half, but the Pilots (4-20, 2-11 WCC) responded each time. Luttinen tied the score with a jumper four minutes in, and Brown did the same with a lay-up moments later. Thompson then gave Portland a 48-46 lead when she converted a lay-up with 13:07 left to play.
 
The Waves then tied it before Wooton provided an answer, this time with a jumper to make it a 50-48 Portland lead. But six quick points by Pepperdine pushed the Waves back in front, 54-50.
 
A three-point play by Portland's Kaylie Van Loo briefly pulled the Pilots within one with 10:10 showing on the clock, but the Pilots then seemingly ran out of answers and the Waves stretched the lead to 13 points with a 17-5 run.
 
And just when it looked like the Waves would cruise to an easy win, the Pilots made it interesting with a big-time 14-3 run in the final minutes to somehow cut the deficit to just two points with 18 seconds left. Then after a Portland foul, the Waves made just one of two free throws and Portland had the ball trailing by three with 16 seconds remaining.
 
But the Pilots couldn't get a shot off at the other end, and the Waves would make one more free throw before the final buzzer.
 
The Pilots shot 50 percent (27-for-54) overall and held a 39-25 edge in rebounds. Wooton had a team-best seven boards, to go along with four assists, while Van Loo matched a career-best with six assists.
 
Hannah Mattson was clutch from the free throw line, making all five attempts in the final minute. She'd finish 7-for-7 at the charity stripe en route to a season-high nine points.
 
Ea Shoushtari led four Waves in double figures with a game-high 21 points and she hit five three-pointers on the night. Both teams finished with six three's and Pepperdine made 20 free throws, on 31 attempts, to Portland's 12. Pepperdine shot 46.3 percent (25-for-54) overall.
 
The Pilots were hurt by 22 turnovers, which led to a 21-9 advantage in points off of miscues for the Waves.
 
After falling behind 5-0 to begin the game, Portland's offense came to life with a 13-3 run. The outburst was fueled by a lay-up and three by Luttinen, who helped make it a 13-8 game seven minutes in.
 
The lead would stretch to nine points and a three by Brown handed the Pilots a 30-21 lead with less than five minutes left in the first half. But Portland's offense would cool off from there, allowing the Waves to end the half on a 15-3 run and lead 36-33 at the break.
 
The Pilots now remain in the LA area to face the Loyola Marymount Lions on Saturday. Tip-off at Gersten Pavilion is set for 2 p.m.