San Diego State’s women’s basketball team trailed UNLV by just five points after three quarters in the finals of the Mountain West Women’s Basketball Championship.
The No. 7 seed gave the top-seeded Lady Rebels (30-2, 17-1 MW) a run for their money, but it was not the same in the fourth period as UNLV pulled away for a 66-49 win and their third straight tournament crown.
The Aztecs (22-13, 10-8 MW) were led by senior Abby Prohaska, with 13 points; she also paced the squad with five rebounds. Kim Villalobos had eight assists, to tie a career high, six points, two steals and a block. Jada Lewis and Adryana Quezada added nine and eight points, respectively.
San Diego State shot 40% in the first quarter compared to UNLV’s 29% to establish a 10-8 lead after 10 minutes
The Aztecs built a six-point advantage, 20-14 with 6:57 to play before intermission, but failed to score again before the half. However, SDSU’s defense held No. 21 UNLV to just six points and the teams went into the break tied 20-20.
Neither team excelled from long distance before the half. SDSU, which averages 5.5 threes per game and UNLV, which makes 7.9 per game, combined to go 0-of-10 in the first half, but the second half was a different story, a they both warmed up, going 10-of-17.
The Aztecs, up 24-22 in the third, saw the Lady Rebels go on a 12-0 run over the next 3:30 and found themselves down 34-24 with 4:42 to play in the period.
Lewis stopped the run with the team’s first three-pointer of the game and SDSU drew to within five points. But UNLV opened the final quarter on an 11-0 run and took its biggest lead of the game, 53-37, with 7:38 to play and cruised to the finish.
This was the first time since 2013 that the Aztecs made the it to the championship game. They made it there with an easy first-round win over San Jose State, followed by a quarterfinal win over No. 2 seed New Mexico, 67-56 and a hard-fought 72-69 win over Boise State in the semis.
Villalobos and Quezada were named to the All-Tournament Team. In addition, Villalobos surpassed 1,000 points for her career.
