San Diego, Calif. – Coming off its worse performance of the season two nights ago, a 76-40 loss at CSUN, the San José State women's basketball team bounced back, but lost at the University of San Diego, 83-79, on Friday night.
Led by freshman Raziya Potter's 15 points, the Spartans had three players in double figures in the scoring column. Sophomores Danae Marquez and Megan Anderson finished with 12 and 10 points respectively.
The Toreros jumped on SJSU (1-10) to the tune of a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes and a 12-4 advantage at the 5:45 mark. But freshman Nefer Leon, who finished with a career-best five points, drained a three that keyed a 12-to-5 Spartans spurt.
In the run, senior Andrea Kohlhaas hit the first of her three treys in the period and, after a pair Potter free throws, San José State was within a point at 17-16 with 41 seconds left. Kohlhaas then hit a three to give the Spartans the lead and with four seconds left nailed another to send the game to the second period with SJSU up 22-18. Kohlhaas' nine points equaled her career-high; a mark she had previously achieved five times in her career.
USD (7-4) opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run and closed on a 6-0 run while holding SJSU to just eight points and led 41-30 at the break. The second quarter proved a difference in the game. In the quarter, SJSU made just 3-of-17 shots, two of which were threes, while the Toreros made 8-of-15. USD outscored the Spartans 23-8 and led 41-30 at the break.
The Toreros stretched the advantage to a game-high 13 points with the first bucket of the third period, but that is when Megan Anderson got hot from beyond the arc. She hit back-to-back threes and after Potter completed a three-point play, the game was back to four points, 43-39, in just over a minute's time.
Anderson hit another three followed by one from Fieme'a Hafoka to keep it a four-point game, 49-45, at the 6:47 mark. The teams traded buckets for the next three minutes and then Analyss Benally got into the three-point assault. She hit one at the 3:07 mark and another with 1:23 to go in the quarter and the game went to the final 10 minutes with USD holding a five-point lead, 61-56.
USD pushed its advantage to nine points twice in the fourth quarter, including 81-72 with 46 seconds to play. But a Mikaylah Wilson jumper and Cydni Lewis layup wrapped around a Hafoka three made the final score 83-79.
In the game, SJSU hit 13-of-30 three-point attempts (43.3 percent). The 13 treys and 43.3 percent shooting from distance are the team's second highest totals for each category this season.
The Spartans out-shot USD 44.9 (31-of-69)-to-41.7 (30-of-70) percent and made 13 threes to the Toreros three, but San Diego owned the free throw line. They went to the charity stripe 29 times, making 20, compared to the Spartans who made four of eight attempts.
SJSU forced 17 turnovers, which they used to score 26 points, but were beaten in second chance points 28-to-7 due to USD out rebounding the Spartans 26-to-4 on the offensive glass.
San José State's next game, its Mountain West Conference opener, is scheduled for January 3, at Fresno State. Tip off in the Save Mart Center is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.