Kelly Meggs Knocks Down Three-Pointer To Beat Utah State, 71-70
December 18, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Logan, Utah – UC Irvine's Kelly Meggs drained a three-pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining to give the Anteaters a 71-70 victory over Utah State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Tuesday.
UCI snaps a two-game losing streak and goes to 3-7 overall. It is the first win ever in Logan (1-2) for the Anteaters. Utah State falls to 2-8.
It is the second time this year Meggs has won a game with a three-pointer, also hitting the game-winner in a 61-60 overtime victory at Seattle on Dec. 1.
Junior forward Camille Buckley led the Anteaters with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. The forward went 7-12 from the field and 2-3 from the free throw line. Junior guard Jennifer Tsurumoto added 15 points and four assists while playing all 40 minutes. Meggs ended the night with 12 points, hitting four three-pointers. The junior guard also recorded five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Junior forward Jasmine Bernard had nine points and six rebounds, while senior guard Anete Klintsone totaled seven points. Sophomore forward Methlyn Onogomuho recorded six points, five rebounds and four assists and senior forward Cheyenne Cathey had five points and five rebounds.
The Anteaters out-rebounded the Aggies, 44-37 while shooting 38.7 percent from the floor (24-62) and 60.9 percent from the free throw line. The Anteaters had nine three-pointers. Utah State went 13-33 from three-point distance and 26-63 from the floor overall (41.3) The Aggies who rank fourth nationally in free throw percentage (81.0) this season were 5-9 (55.6) from the line.
Utah State's backcourt duo of Jennifer Schlott (26) and Devyn Christensen (20) combined for over half of the Aggies' points. Schlott hit four three-pointers, while Christensen had six. Jenna Johnson added nine points and nine rebounds.
UCI's Anete Klintsone hit the Anteaters fifth three-pointer at 14:04 to open an 18-7 lead in the first half. The Aggies would go on a 20-7 run to take its first lead of the game, 27-25 on a Makenlee Williams three-pointer at 6:28. The score was tied 29-29 before Utah State would use seven Jennifer Schlott points to help the Aggies to its biggest lead of the half, 36-30 at 3:16. Utah State would hold a 41-36 advantage at halftime behind the strength of 16 first half points by Schlott.
Seven different Anteaters scored 13 UCI points, while Utah State's only offense to start the second half was four three-pointers by Devyn Christensen, but that was all they needed as the Aggies led 53-49 with 12:40 remaining. Schlott then took over the offense scoring the next seven points as the Aggies held a 61-55 cushion with 7:47 left. Utah State continued to lead 66-57 with 5:37 to play when UCI mounted its comeback, out-scoring the Aggies 10-2 to close to 68-67 with 1:53 left. A pair of free throws by Schlott gave Utah State the 70-67 advantage with 1:44 to play then UCI's Jennifer Tsurumoto hit a free throw with 58 seconds to go to make it 70-68 Utah State. An Aggie three-pointer missed and Methlyn Onogomuho pulled down the rebound and UCI head coach Doug Oliver called timeout with 21 seconds on the clock. Meggs hit the game-winner from beyond the arc on the right side with 3.1 seconds remaining. Utah State launched a long three-pointer that hit the backboard as time expired.
UCI will travel to the University of Utah Thursday (Dec. 20) at 6:00 p.m. PT.
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