Swipe Right on Women’s Basketball
Photo taken by Mōhailani Peloso
The Women’s Basketball team takes on the University of San Diego before Valentine’s Day.
Heading into Thursday’s matchup, the Pacific Tigers host the San Diego Toreros, aiming to secure a victory that would propel them to fourth place in the West Coast Conference standings. The Tigers hold a five-game winning streak over San Diego, making it the second-longest winning streak by either school in the series.
During warm-ups, the Tigers sported black and pink dri-fit shirts featuring a pink ribbon as the "I" in "Pacific." Jamie Kent was honored as the Player Spotlight for her performance in the previous home game against Pepperdine University, commemorating her first three-pointer in the opening quarter. At the 6:07 PM tip-off, the starting five, Elizabeth Elliott, Liz Smith, Anaya James, Sydney Ward, and Marina Radocaj, took the court in pink and white jerseys for the Pink Out game.
The first quarter kicked off to a historic start, as Ward made her mark by earning 15th place on the All-Time Blocks list with her second block at the 4:21 mark. Despite shooting 0 for 5 from beyond the arc, the Tigers collected 10 points off four field goals and two free throws. Smith shot one for two in the first quarter, advancing within reach of two points away from seventh place in the All-Time Scoring list and four free throws away from second on the All-Time Free Throws list. The quarter concluded with the Tyges down 10-16.
Stella Szabo rallied the Tigers in the second quarter after subbing in with 6:55 left in the second quarter. Within seven seconds of being on the floor, she forced a turnover, missed a three-pointer, but hustled to the lane for her own offensive rebound and threw it up for two points. Moments later, Szabo swished a contested three from the corner, cutting the deficit to five points. Meanwhile, the Pacific Baseball team hyped the crowd for their upcoming home opener on February 14th by throwing out pink t-shirts during a media timeout. The quarter ended with the Tigers trailing 24-29.
The Tigers pounced during the first twelve seconds into the third quarter as James converted a layup and an and-one just 12 seconds into play. Smith progressed to seventh place in All-Time Career Points with a free throw late in the quarter at the 4:13 mark. The Tigers were strong free-throw shooters this quarter with 85.71% from behind the line, compensating for another 0 for 5 effort from the three-pointer range. Capitalizing on offensive rebounds, Pacific scored ten second-chance points. Three layups in the paint by Kent made her the leading scorer for the quarter. At the end of the quarter, the Tigers had closed the gap to 40-48.
The fourth quarter began with a fast break by Smith set up by a full-court pass from Daria Nestorov. After a brief scoring drought, Smith scored a three-pointer, cutting the lead to 54-57 in favor of San Diego. A shot clock violation that was reviewed and rescinded allowed the Tigers to inch closer at 55-54. Three layups by Elliott put Pacific ahead by three points with 1:48 remaining in the quarter. With 17 seconds left, a layup by the San Diego Toreros left the Tigers ahead by one. Smith hit two free throws three seconds later, giving Pacific a three-point advantage, which moved her into second place on the All-Time Free Throws list. However, with six seconds left, the Toreros hit a game-tying three-pointer, and Smith’s hurried three at the buzzer missed, sending the game into overtime tied at 62-62.
In overtime, the Tigers won the opening jump ball, and Kent knocked down two free throws to give Pacific the first points in the extra period. Smith offered two free throws of her own, tying the game at 66-66. Kent added two more free throws to give the Tigers a two-point lead a minute later. With 22 seconds left, Elliott made the first field goal of the overtime period, but the Toreros quickly answered with two free throws, pushing their lead to three. Elliott responded with a quick layup, and after another Toreros’ free throw, Pacific trailed 75-72. Smith attempted a three-pointer and missed, hustling for her own offensive rebound and swinging it around the arc to James. Bouncing off the rim, the Tigers fell to the Toreros with a final score of 72-75 and moved to eighth place in the West Coast Conference standings.
Senior James had herself a night, accumulating 200 steals across her career with six steals against the Toreros. Senior Elliott dominated the court with a double-double, posting 23 points and 11 rebounds. Graduate Smith celebrated advancing to second on the All-Time Free Throws list and sixth place on the All-Time Career Points list. Ward also made history, moving into 15th place on the All-Time Blocks list. The team finished with 31 offensive rebounds, setting a new single-game high under Coach Bradley Davis.
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.