Lady Aggies edge Spartans at the buzzer, pick up second straight win
San Jose, Calif. — A short-staffed Utah State Women’s Basketball beat SJSU 63-61 in what may be remembered as the game of the season.
A show-stopping buzzer-beater by Laci Hawthorne won the game and gave the Aggies their second conference win in a row.
After a dominant second half from the Spartans, the Aggies were tied 61-61 with one second left in regulation. All they needed to win the game was one point. Overtime appeared likely as Kaylin Randhawa missed the game-tying free throw. Instead, the missed shot bounced off the rim and into the hands of forward Laci Hawthorne.
Hawthorne threw up a quick two as the buzzer sounded.
Bang.
The Aggie bench erupted in celebration as they embraced one another.
“I knew we only had a few seconds left,” Hawthorne said. “I just put it up.”
Since it glitched… here’s the shot in slow-mo 🙌 #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/LzqEIM2m1G
— USU Women’s Hoops (@USUWBasketball) January 28, 2022
On top of her late-game heroics, Hawthorne recorded six points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Coach Ard boasted about the star post-game.
“She works hard and I’m so happy for her,” Ard said.
But Hawthorne wasn’t the only Aggie with an impressive performance. Adryana Quezada led all scorers on the floor with 20 points, shooting 50% from the field. Quezada finished the game two boards shy of a double-double.
The Spartans put up a good fight, starting the match off with a 9-0 run. The Aggies found their rhythm as E’Lease Stafford and Emmie Harris spearheaded a comeback. USU shot 4 for 8 down the stretch and ended the period at 23 points apiece.
The Aggies’ second-half demise stemmed from the charity stripe. After shooting 13 for 13 against Wyoming on Saturday, the Aggies shot only 50% from the line. “We were just tired,” Coach Ard said about the poor free-throw shooting, “It’s just a mental thing.”
USU’s fatigue truly surfaced during the fourth period. USU’s second-leading scorer, Stafford, fouled out and the game seemed to belong to the Spartans. The Aggies shot just 2 for 10 in the latter half of the period until mounting their 6-0 point comeback.
Kinley Falslev banked in a 3-pointer to cut a San Jose State lead to just one. After forcing a Spartan turnover, Randhawa was fouled and went to the line with .6 seconds remaining. Then Hawthorne had the put-back, right as the buzzer sounded.
It took the officials about five minutes to confirm the call on the floor. Fans, players, and coaches held their hands on their heads until the call came back: Aggie basket.
The call stands… Aggies win!#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/q5StpXkuNX
— USU Women’s Hoops (@USUWBasketball) January 28, 2022
Despite the Aggies’ limited team of seven, Coach Ard never doubted.
“We had a bad second half but I knew we had it in us,” she said. “I’m just thanking God right now.”
USU looks to extend its win streak to a season-high three games against the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday.