Boise, Idaho – Senior Cydni Lewis notched her first career double-double but it was undefeated Boise State who escaped with a 77-75 victory at ExtraMile Arena on New Year's Eve.
A back-and-forth affair the whole way, Thursday's contest featured 12 lead changes and four ties.
The Broncos grabbed the final lead of the afternoon with just under four minutes to play, and while the visitors from San José were able to pull to within a single point on three separate occasions, a stop on the final possession of the day gave the home team the victory.
San José State (presented by Provident Credit Union) outscored Boise State 20-19 in the opening stanza and earned their first lead of the game on a Danae Marquez three-pointer with four minutes to play in the first quarter. Marquez finished the day with eight points, four assists and three rebounds while coming off the bench.
obligatory three to the dome tweet @danaeeee2 ?? pic.twitter.com/M3brKP2jku
— San José State Women's Basketball (@SanJoseStateWBB) December 31, 2020
In addition to Lewis, two other Spartans scored in double figures on Thursday.
Guard Raziya Potter tallied 17 points, while senior Tyra Whitehead came off the bench to notch 16 points and nine rebounds.
Trailing by six at the half, SJSU exploded out of the locker rooms. Initiated by a Lewis three, head coach Jamie Craighead's team went on 7-0 run out of the break to take the lead and force a Bronco timeout.
Lewis also scored the first points of the fourth quarter, a pure jumper that gave her side a 57-53 advantage - its largest of the final 10 minutes.
Leiws, Potter and Marquez would all score clutch buckets to pull within one in the contest's final four minutes, but the comeback attempt ultimately fell just two points short.
on loop@danaeeee2 ?? pic.twitter.com/r6QWykUxJA
— San José State Women's Basketball (@SanJoseStateWBB) December 31, 2020
San José State ended the day with an edge in bench points (31-14) and second chance points (18-15). The team shot the ball at a 36.8 percent clip from three-point range.
Despite the defeat, Thursday's game marked the program's best performance in Boise since the 2005-06 season (won 69-64).
Lewis was the top Spartan shooter from the free-throw line, sinking all five of her attempts from the charity stripe. She also saw a team-high 28 minutes of action on Thursday.
SJSU now sets its sights on Saturday's series finale with Boise State. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. (MT) inside ExtraMile Arena.
SPARTAN ATHLETICS FUND FAN CUTOUTS
Spartan Nation, don't miss your chance to be represented in the stands at the Provident Credit Union Event Center this season. If interested in a cardboard cutout, follow this link to register!