Pacific Women's Hoops Comeback Falls Short In OT At San Diego, 75-70

The Pacific women's basketball team erased a 21-point deficit to force overtime, but San Diego escaped with a 75-70 win Saturday at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Pacific closed regulation with a 30-9 run, but San Diego remained undefeated.

Kendall Kenyon led Pacific with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while KiKi Moore added 14, Hailie Eackles 11 and Madison Parrish 10.

Down 55-34 with 12:38 remaining in regulation, Pacific reeled off a 27-6 run to tie the game at 61-61. Each team posted a basket and a free throw in the final minute. But in overtime, San Diego hit 7-of-10 free throws for the victory.

Pacific falls to 6-8 on the season and 1-3 in WCC play, while San Diego improves to 15-0 overall and 4-0 in WCC action. Amy Kame led the Toreros with 28 points.

Parrish found Kenyon underneath for a quick 2-0 Pacific lead. The Toreros answered back, taking a 6-4 lead on a three-pointer by Malina Hood.

Erin Butler knocked down a three to give Pacific the lead back at 9-7. But USD's Amy Kame scored six-straight points for the Toreros.

Butler struck again from three-point range to end the 8-0 San Diego run, and after a steal, Marjorie Heard scored inside while being fouled to bring Pacific within one, at 15-14.

The Toreros surged ahead from the free throw line before Kenyon finished inside. Parrish hit a pair of free throws to bring the Tigers within 23-20, but the Toreros posted back-to-back lay-ups from Sophia Ederaine for a 29-20 lead.

Hood struck from three-point range as the Toreros took their largest lead at 34-22 with 2:37 to go in the first.

San Diego closed the half with a 16-4 run to take a 39-24 lead into halftime. Pacific hit just 7-of-27 from the field (26 percent) in the first half, while USD connected at a 48 percent clip, 14-of-29. USD out-rebounded Pacific 22-15 in the first half.

Pacific connected on just one of the Tigers' first eight field goal attempts in the second half, as the Toreros held a 45-27 advantage with 15:52 to play.

Sam Pettinger drove to the rim for a bucket, and Butler finished with the left hand as the Tigers reeled off a 7-2 run, capped by a three-pointer from Hailie Eackles. Parrish hit a jumper and Johnson scored on a put-back before Kenyon finished inside as the Tigers pulled within 55-40.

Kenyon hit a pair of free throws and added a jumper off a feed from Pettinger as the Tigers used a 12-0 run to cut the USD lead to 55-46, capped by a Moore drive to the rim.

After a pair of USD free throws, Moore scored again and the Tigers posted the stop on defense. Moore hit a floater in the lane as the Tigers pulled within 57-50 with 6:09 to play.

Parrish hit a pair of free throws as the Tigers whittled the Toreros lead to six, 58-52. Eackles drained a three as the Tigers clawed within three, but Kame answered on the other end.

Eackles was fouled on a three-point attempt and knocked down all three free throws. The Tigers posted a stop at the other end, drawing the charge, and Kenyon finished inside to tie the game at 61-61 with a minute to go.

Ederlaine posted a lay-up to give the Toreros a 63-61 lead with 40.8 seconds remaining.

Eackles slipped to the rim and finished a feed from Moore to knot things back up at 63-63 with 27.7 to go.

Kame hit one of two free throws with 11.8 seconds left, but Moore drove to the hoop and got to the line with 7.5 seconds remaining. She hit the first free throw to tie the game, but the second rattled out. Out of a time out, the Tigers stopped San Diego on the final possession of regulation.

Moore opened overtime with a free throw for Pacific's first lead since 9-7, and then finished on a drive to the basket for a 67-64 lead.

Kame hit a pair of free throws, and then finished with a floater for a 68-67 San Diego lead with 2:10 left in OT. Ederlaine added a free throw, and Kenyon tied the game with a pair of throws on the other end.

Pacific forced a shot clock violation, and Kenyon was fouled inside with a minute to go and hit one of two for a 70-69 lead. Kame drew the foul with 22.7 seconds left, and hit both free throws for a 71-70 San Diego lead.

Alysse Barlow posted the steal at mid-court, and went to the line after an intentional foul.

The Tigers are back in action on Thursday at San Francisco.