BOX SCORE
SAN DIEGO- In a season of hard breaks and tough calls, Western Michigan (3-10) was again edged in the final seconds, dropping a 77-72 decision to host San Diego State at the Surf ?N Slam Classic on Dec. 30. Molly Dwyer shot 6-for-8 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the free throw line, scoring a career-high 16 points, to lead a quartet of Broncos in double figures.
Western Michigan had to battle back from a 40-28 halftime deficit, an effort that was sparked by the play Sarah Dreher. Entering the starting lineup in the second half, the sophomore forward scored eight points, including a momentum-turning three-pointer, in a 12-4 run. Parker scored the other four points as the Brown & Gold pulled to within four, 44-40.
Trailing by six with just over 10 remaining, the Broncos scored nine unanswered points and took their first lead since the opening minutes. Tiera DeLaHoussaye, Parker and Sara Vest all hit layups in that stretch, and Chandra Smith hit another big three for the Broncos to make for a 65-62 score in WMU's favor with 7:06 left in the game.
San Diego State (9-3) put together a late surge and regained the lead for good at the 2:35 mark, 73-71. The Broncos went the last 3:16 without a field goal, but still had the game within one possession, 75-72, after DeLaHoussaye made the first of two free throws with four seconds remaining. SDSU's Jene Morris was fouled on the ensuing rebound, and missed the front end of a one-and-one. The rebound fell in the hands of Vest and WMU immediately called for a timeout with two ticks left on the clock. A long pass by Brenna Banktson went out of bounds and a Bronco foul sent the Aztecs to the free throw line, where they sealed the win, 77-72.
Parker finished with 14 points and five rebounds, while Dreher scored 13. Both she and Vest pulled in a team-high six rebounds. DeLaHoussaye ended the afternoon with 11 points and six assists. She was named to the All-Tournament Team, having also produced 17 points and 13 assists in against Seton Hall.
Statistically, both teams were fairly even, with WMU owning a slight shooting advantage, 47.3 percent compared to the Aztecs' 46.9 percent, and winning the battle on the boards, 39-34. One flaw to the Broncos' game might have been their free throw shooting, where they were only 15-for-25.
Western Michigan will leave California and conclude its four-game road trip at Marquette, playing the Golden Flashes in Milwaukee on Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
