After losing twice to Pepperdine by an average of 16 points during the regular season, San Diego turned the tables in the championship game of the West Coast Conference tournament and defeated the Waves 68-51 to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

"It's hard to beat a team three times in a row because you learn from the losses," San Diego coach Kathy Marpe said. "The last time we played was like a dress rehearsal for how to beat them."

Jessica Gray scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half to lead the come-from-behind victory for the fourth-seeded Toreros.

Maria Perez-Barris added 14 points as San Diego (17-12) qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1993. Kerri Nakamoto had 11 points.

"I knew we were capable of winning everything," said Gray, who also had 12 rebounds. "We definitely peaked at the WCC tournament."

Damaris Hinojosa scored 11 points to lead the Waves (21-9), whose school-record 11-game winning streak came to an end.

Pepperdine, the regular season champion and top seed, was defeated in the title game for the second straight year. The Waves have never appeared in the NCAA tournament.

"I got outcoached badly today," Pepperdine coach Mark Trakh said. "That's why we lost the game. They did a tremendous job. Our shots weren't falling, but it had to do with their defense more than anything else."

Pepperdine's Rasheeda Clark, the WCC's third-leading scorer, was held to two points in the second half, and nine for the game.

"They stayed together down the stretch and hit the shots," Clark said. "We didn't hit the shots."

San Diego, which matched a school record for victories set in 1989-90, stayed close in the second half and tied the game at 39 when Jessica Gray hit an inside jumper with 12:51 remaining to play.

It was still tied four minutes later, but the Toreros took a 48-45 lead when Maria Perez-Barris hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire with 8:05 left. That basket was part of a 19-2 run that gave San Diego a 60-47 lead with 2:34 to play.

"We just kept believing in ourselves," San Diego's Susie Erpelding said. "That's what carried us through."

The Toreros outscored Pepperdine 27-6 in the final 9:34.

"This is the first time we haven't answered a run with a run of our own," Hinojosa said. "We couldn't respond. They showed tremendous heart and great hustle."