SAN ANTONIO — In a game that saw the margin stay in single digits no matter who led, the Newman women's basketball team fell 72-70 in the final seconds to start a Heartland Conference roadtrip at St. Mary's Thursday evening.
KEY SEQUENCE
After seeing the opponent take the lead with less than a minute to play, Hannah Alexander tied things up for the Jets (11-7, 3-2 Heartland) with a jumper with 22 seconds left to play, but a big offensive rebound by the Rattlers (8-9, 2-2 Heartland) allowed Hannah Wilson to bury the final basket of the game to give the hosts the final lead.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Alexander gave the Jets the lead twice in the first three minutes, the second time making it a 5-4 game on a 3-pointer. The Rattlers answered with a 10-1 run that gave them a lead that would last until the midway point of the second quarter.
-The hosts led my multiple possessions for most of that span, but Nia Roberts and Haley Albers each nailed a 3-pointer, with Albers' pushing Newman back in front 33-31 with less than five minutes until halftime. A stretch of six straight turnovers — four from Abbey George — pushed the lead out to seven with less than a minute to go in the half.
-Three points in the last 16 seconds of the second quarter started an 8-0 run by the Rattlers, the last bucket giving them a brief one-point lead. Alexander gave the Jets a four-point advantage with a triple midway through the third, and two free throws by George pushed it to 54-40 with just under two to go in the period
-A six-point spurt by St. Mary's from that point put the hosts in front early in the fourth, and the teams traded baskets until Dede Johnson tied it up at 66-all with 3:53 left to play. Wilson put together a three-point play with 50 seconds to go to put the Rattlers ahead before the final sequence.
NOTES
-While neither team led by more than nine, the game got tighter as the minutes ticked away. The largest lead of the second half was four points, and a single bucket was the biggest margin of the fourth quarter. In the final 10 minutes there were six ties and eight lead changes.
-Four Jets reached double figures in scoring, led by George, who netted 15 with the help of an 11-for-12 night at the free throw line. Alexander put up 14, Albers 13 and Roberts 12.
-Erica Olerich turned in a game-high 13 rebounds to go with six points. Her 13 boards is a new season-high.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jets complete their roadtrip with a Saturday afternoon contest against Texas A&M International.
