San Diego, Calif. – Analyss Benally banked in a three-pointer with 16 second left to give the San José State women's basketball team a 68-67 lead, but San Diego State's Tea Adams hit a shot in the lane with two seconds to go to send the Spartans to a 69-68 defeat on Saturday afternoon in Viejas Arena.
"We got off to a really slow start and I think the way we battled back from that is a testament to what our team is doing now and really for the last five games," head coach Jamie Craighead said. "We are playing hard and competing. I think our team is starting to realize and believe that they can play with people. Obviously (Analyss') three that gave us the lead was a big shot and you hate to lose at the buzzer, but it was a great game. Both teams hit tough shots and got stops when they needed. That is what basketball is supposed to be, I just wish we could have been the ones celebrating at the end."
Benally's final three was one of four for her in the game. She moved past Sara Plavljanin (2010-12), who had 96 threes in her career, into 11th place on the program's all-time three-point list. The Shiprock, N.M. native, has 99 treys in two and a half seasons and is poised, with her next three, to become just the 11th player in program history to make 100 in her career.
San Jose State was led by Mikaylah Wilson's second career-double double. Wilson finished with 16 points, a career-high, and 11 rebounds, which equaled the best rebounding day of her career.
"I thought (Mikaylah) played tremendously today and her double double was huge," Craighead said. "She was really playing and her free throw shooting, she was 6-for-6 from the line, was really big. She was rebounding and keeping possessions alive and we need that type of energy and effort from her every night."
Fieme'a Hafoka had 10 points and grabbed five boards and Megan Anderson and Raziya Potter each had nine points. Anderson's nine points came on three three-pointers. She is currently tied with Kim Skaggs (1988-92) for 13th place all-time at SJSU with 80 threes.
In the first four minutes, San José State weathered a blistering 16-2 start by the Aztecs. SDSU had its biggest lead of the game, 17 points at 22-5, with 3:51 to play in the first, but from there the Spartans began to battle back.
In the first six minutes, SJSU was 2-of-10 from the field while San Diego State went 8-of-16. To close the quarter the Spartans hit its last 3-of-5 while holding SDSU to just one more bucket and trailed 26-15 after one period.
In the second, San Jose State (2-18, 1-8 MW) held SDSU to just nine points on 3-of 13 shooting from the floor, while hitting 6-of-15 shots to close the gap to 35-30 at halftime.
Wilson hit the team's first bucket coming out of the half to trim the lead to 35-32. A Courtesy Clark layup with 6:07 to go in the third tied the game 41-41, but the Aztecs closed the quarter on a 13-to-6 run to take a 54-47 advantage into the final period.
A Sophia Ramos jumper put the Aztecs up by 10 points, 57-47 with 7:29 left in the game. Anderson then hit a three and Benally followed with another making it 59-53.
With 1:22 to play Danae Marquez drained a three to make it a one-point game, 64-63. Following an SDSU bucket, Wilson scored to get it back to a one-point game, 65-64 with 42 seconds to go.
The Aztecs' Mallory Adams hit one of two free throws with 21 seconds on the clock to give SDSU a two-point cushion, 67-65, and set the stage for Benally's bank three, which gave SJSU its only lead of the game.
The lead lasted 14 seconds until Tea Adams made a bucket in the lane with two second left.
The Spartans called time out, advanced the ball to the frontcourt, and got it in to Benally, but her last second three-point attempts came up short as did San Jose State's bid for a comeback victory.
San Diego State (7-12, 2-6 MW) had two players in double figures led by Naje Murray's 16 points.
For the game the Spartans (23-of-61) outshot the Aztecs (25-of-67), 37.7 to-37.3 percent. SJSU hit 11 threes to SDSU's nine and the Spartans made 11 free throws to ten for San Diego State.
The Aztecs outrebounded San Jose State 37-to-47 including 16-to-7 on the offensive glass, but the Spartans had the advantage in second chance points 11-to-10.
"Our defense was really good today," Craighead added. "I might have over scouted today and possible wigged our team out in the first quarter. They really seem to understand this defense now and maybe I got them thinking too much early on. When they played instinctually they seem to play better and I've got to do a better job of trusting them. They're playing better on the defensive end and have earned that trust."
The Spartans next contest is next Saturday, February 9 in The Event Center. San Jose State hosts Boise State with tip off scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
