Women Cagers Lose a Heartbreaker to Boise State
November 29, 1999 | Women's Basketball
The women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 59-58 decision to Boise State on Sunday (November 28th) in its second game at the Fresno (CA) State Classic. The Terriers also lost its opener in the two-day classican 83-57 decision to host Fresno State on Saturday. The loss to Boise State dropped the Terriers' record to 2-2.
With 2:17 to play in regulation, it appeared the Terriers would come away with a win, as they led 58-53 after a pair of free throws by sophomore Anne Nelson (Blue Bell, PA). As it turned out, it would be the last points scored by the Terriers.
Boise State closed the gap to within three points, 58-55, with 1:43 to play.
One of the crucial plays of the game came a little more than a minute to play.
With B.U. still holding on to its three-point lead, and with 40 seconds to play, Terrier sophomore Dia Dufault (Malone, NY) was hit with her fifth personal foul. Prior to fouling out, she had scored eight points and had a team-leading eight rebounds, five of which were on the defensive boards.
Boise State's Christina Thrasher, who would finish the game with just seven points, made both free throws to pull her team to within one point, 58-57, with 40 seconds to play.
With the clock winding down to just two seconds to play, Nelson (Blue Bell, PA) was whistled for her fifth foul.
Stephanie Block went to the foul line and converted on both attempts to give her team the one-point win.
As it turned out, those were the only four free throws Boise had in the second half, and they proved the pivotal points of the game.
Ironically, the Terriers had the edge in free throws, 15-of-16 compared to 11-of-13 for Boise.
No more than five points ever separated the two teams throughout the game, while the score was tied five times each in the first and second halves.
Offensively, the Terriers were led by junior Alison Dixon (Norwood, Mass.) and freshman Rachel Werner (Glendale, AZ), each of whom had 14 points, while freshman Alison Argentieri (Hornell, NY) had 11 points to go along with six assists.
Dixon, who was the lone Terrier to be selected to the All-Classic team, also had seven assists, three steals, and one assist in her 40 minutes of action.
