Nov. 26, 2016
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -
The San Diego State women's basketball team kept its game against UT Arlington within reach but ultimately fell to the Mavericks, 64-58, at the Seton Hall Thanksgiving Classic Saturday afternoon.
UT Arlington, ranked No. 7 in ESPN's Women's Basketball Mid-Major Poll, improves to 4-0, while the Aztecs fall to 1-4.
San Diego State opened the game with a flourish. Following a pass from Ariell Bostick, Kymberly Ellison nailed a three from the left corner 33 seconds into the game.
The Mavericks were able to score nine unanswered points, but a Greenhouse jumper from the free throw line cut the lead to 9-5 with just under six minutes on the clock.
Consecutive two-point field goals by McKynzie Fort and Monique Terry sliced the UTA advantage to two points at 11-9 with exactly four minutes to go. After a three by UT Arlington, SDSU out-scored its opponent, 6-5, for a 19-15 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
The Aztecs turned the ball over three times to open the second frame, allowing UT Arlington to take a 23-15 lead.
But the Scarlet and Black out-scored the Mavericks, 10-6, to give UTA just a four-point margin at 31-27 with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the second. UT Arlington ended the frame on a five-point run for a 36-27 advantage.
The second half saw the Aztecs again close the scoring gap with an 8-2 run and tighten up their defense, shutting out UT Arlington from a field goal until 5:13 remained in the quarter.
On the first possession of the second half, Ellison picked off an errant UT Arlington pass, ran down the court and laid in the ball. She followed that up with a deep three for the 38-32 score.
After a Maverick layup, Fort and Thorderson went for the give-and-go and Fort threw in the layup. Drawing a foul on the play, she made good on the ensuing free throw for the three-point play and 40-35 score.
Bostick's two made free throws and Terry's layup kept the margin to four at 43-39. Ellison responded to back-to-back Maverick layups with her second trey of the quarter to trail 47-42.
Following a pair of UT Arlington free throws, Greenhouse's pump fake jumper with 1:08 remaining in the period kept the game close at 49-44. The Mavericks would add a late third-quarter layup for the 51-44 margin.
But in the fourth quarter, the Aztecs were only able to drain three field goals on 10 attempts for the final 64-58 score.
Ellison led the team with a season-best 13 points and three rebounds in 26 minutes logged. The Aztecs' leading scorer, Fort, fouled out of the game with nine points as 5:51 remained in regulation. Team-leading rebounder Bostick exited the contest at 17 seconds with 12 points, five rebounds and a pair of fourth-quarter steals.
Arantxa Gomez Ferrer had her first career game with multiple blocks (2), adding three rebounds and two points.
San Diego State plays the loser of Seton Hall's game against Central Connecticut State Sunday at noon.