Box Score (PDF)
RENO, Nev. (March 6, 2017) – In a game that featured 157 field goal attempts, Deeshyra Thomas hit the one that counted.
Thomas swished a pull-up jumper from 10 feet to lift Weber State to a 98-97 overtime win over Sacramento State in the opening game of the Big Sky Conference women’s basketball tournament Monday at the Reno Events Center.
The Wildcats (13-17) advanced to face regular-season co-champion Montana State on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. PST. Sacramento State finished its season at 10-20.
The lead changed hands 11 times and the score was tied on seven occasions. But for a time, it looked like Sac State would run away from the Wildcats – literally.
The run-and-gun Hornets bolted out to a 26-14 lead after the first quarter on the strength of four 3-pointers, two by Ashlyn Crenshaw.
But as became the pattern all afternoon, the Wildcats battled back. Kailie Quinn made three of her seven 3-pointers – one off the tournament record – in the second quarter to rally the Wildcats to within 42-40 at the break.
Again the Hornets bolted out to a double-digit lead to begin the second half, taking a 54-44 lead on a pair of free throws by Crenshaw.
Quinn nailed three more treys in the third quarter to get the Wildcats within 69-62 at the end of three quarters. Quinn finished with 23 points.
The fourth quarter belonged to Thomas. She scored 13 of her game-high 25 points in a fourth quarter that was capped by Emily Drake’s layup that knotted the game at 89-89 with 8.5 seconds to play. Maranne Johnson’s long 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds to play failed to draw iron.
The 5-minute overtime period see-sawed with Thomas giving Weber a 96-94 lead with 1:34 to play. A drive by Justyce Dawson knotted the game at 96-96 with 63 ticks left and Gretchen Harrigan made one of two free throws to put the Hornets ahead for the final time, 97-96 with 22.4 seconds to play.
The Wildcats played for the final shot. They worked the ball to Thomas, who took a couple dribbles into the lane before pulling up for the game-winner with 2.9 seconds left. Johnson’s long trey at the buzzer bounced off the front of the rim.
Harrigan led the Hornets with 19 points and Johnson added 16.