SAN DIEGO – The Aztec women's basketball team (5-14, 3-10) fell to UNLV (13-8, 11-5) after the Rebels' Nia Johnson scored a driving lay-in with three seconds left.
SDSU trailed by six with 1:53 left but rallied to tie the game with 14 seconds left after Mercedes Staples hit a jumper.
The Aztecs had one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season, dishing out a season-high 23 assists while turning the ball over just four times, also a season-best.
All 10 Aztecs that played scored and seven players had at least six points. Mercedes Staples led the team with 16 points and hit two big shots in the final 30 seconds. Sophia Ramos, playing in her second game after missing 10 weeks with a hand injury, had a career-high 10 assists and turned the ball over just once in 37 minutes. Freshman Kamaria Gipson tied a career-high with 10 rebounds and Téa Adams chipped in 12 points.
UNLV scored the first bucket of the game, but the Aztecs would then go on a 13-2 run and held the Rebels to 3-for-15 shooting in the opening quarter.
The Aztecs trailed by two at the half but caught fire in the third, shooting 12-for-16 from the floor and scoring 28 points, their most in any quarter this season, and took an eight-point lead entering the fourth.
UNLV responded with a 14-2 run to start the fourth quarter to pull within one point. The Rebel lead would grow to six points, but UNLV went 1-for-11 down the stretch to allow the Aztecs to tie the game behind Mercedes Staples' clutch shots.
UNLV Johnson's made a tough running lay-in through traffic on the right side for the game-winner. Sophia Ramos' half court heave at the buzzer was off the mark.
Rebounding (52-31 UNLV) and fouls were the difference in the game with SDSU committing 22 which led to 23 made free throws for UNLV. The Aztecs were fouled just 10 times and made only six free throws.
The Rebels were led by Desi-Ray Young's 20 points and 12 rebounds.
STAT OF THE GAME I
The Aztecs had a season-high 23 assists on 29 made field goals.
STAT OF THE GAME II
SDSU had just four turnovers, a season best.
THE NOTE
Sophia Ramos had a career-high 10 assists, becoming the first Aztecs to have 10 or more assists since Geena Gomez did it against New Mexico on January 20, 2018.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs host Fresno State this Saturday and Sunday. Both games will be at 1 p.m. and streamed on the Mountain West Network.
Aztecs Lose to UNLV in Final Seconds
