A good basket in the final second of overtime proved to be a hard-fought loss for the Sugar Bears during their final game of the Denver Classic against the University of Nevada Wolfpack.
The decisive two-pointer made by Nevada fifth-year and guard Claire Jacobs brought the final score to 67-65 just as the buzzer rang out Nov. 25.
The shot was met with a jubilant celebration by the Wolfpack, as the team struggled to find and hold leads throughout the game until the final second.
However, UCA began the game strong, coming off a 90-84 win against the University of Denver just a day before.
In the first quarter, the Sugar Bears found a decisive lead of 19-11, with newcomer and junior forward Bree Stephens grabbing the team’s first point with a layup.
Offensive moves continued to be made as successful shots from junior guard Randrea Wright, junior guard Leah Mafua, junior guard Kinley Fisher and junior guard Jade Upshaw found the Bears on top at the end of the first quarter.
Despite the Wolfpack keeping up the pace, the second quarter found the Sugar Bears on top once more, holding onto a lead of 35-29.
Appearances from UCA’s freshman forward Elizabeth Abiara and senior forward Kierra Prim in this quarter made the difference — alongside more production from Fisher, Mafua and Wright.
Exiting halftime, the Sugar Bears held onto their lead until about halfway through the third, with Wolfpack fifth-year and guard Claire Jacobs making herself known on the court with a lead-winning layup, bringing the score to 38-37.
Nevada’s momentary breakthrough was short-lived, however, as the Sugar Bears went on a run to quickly regain the lead.
UCA’s Wright stole the score back, followed by good shots from Fisher and sophomore forward Destine Duckworth, bringing the final third-quarter score to a close 44-41.
Nevada dominated the fourth quarter, quickly taking control of the score with a shot from Jacobs and a layup from Wolfpack senior guard Tiffany Siu, bringing the score to 45-44.
The Wolfpack maintained the lead for nine more points, with the Sugar Bears trailing close behind.
UCA’s Stephens eventually equalized the score at 54-54 with just three minutes left.
The two teams traded shots for the remainder of the quarter, finally settling on an indecisive 57-57 that led into overtime.
The shots were a quick back and forth as both teams battled for a win — trading points until the pair tied once more at 65-65 with only 49 seconds left on the clock.
UCA’s Stephens made one last attempt with 30 seconds remaining to regain possession of the scorebox with a layup but missed.
With an equal score, Nevada’s Jacobs made her final mark on the game with a shot in the last second of playtime, ending a well-paired game for both teams.
The loss brings the Sugar Bears to 3-3 overall, and the University of Nevada to 4-2 overall.
The Sugar Bears will continue their away play, with the team’s next game at 6 p.m. on Nov. 29 against Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.