SAN DIEGO – The San Diego women's basketball program (7-7, 1-2 WCC) recovered from a 16-point deficit to earn their first West Coast Conference win of the season, defeating Saint Mary's (7-6, 1-1 WCC), 69-65, in overtime on Thursday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
 
Freshman Veronica Sheffey led all Toreros with a career-high 17 points and six rebounds. Kylie Horstmeyer added 10 points, while five players tallied six or more rebounds in the win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• San Diego got off to a sluggish start against the Gaels, as the visitors built an early 17-6 lead.  
• While the Toreros answered with a 7-0 run behind six early points from Horstmeyer, the Gaels were able reestablish a lead of 16 points late in the second quarter.
• The Toreros were able to generate a bit of momentum in the dying seconds of the first half, as Amanda Olinger and Kasey Neubert each scored and Jess Finney added a three pointer to make it 38-27 at the half.
• The late run helped build momentum for the Toreros, who slowly chipped away at the Gaels lead.
• Myah Pace opened the third quarter with four points, while the defense stepped up in a big way, holding the Gaels to just 25.0 percent from the field.
• San Diego crawled back behind 10 free throws and trailed by just seven at the end of the third.
• In the fourth quarter, Sheffey began to assert herself. After entering the quarter with just one point, Sheffey got hot with her first basket at 6:47 left in the game.
• Sheffey opened up a personal 10-0 run, scoring every basket during the run, including a fast break layup to tie the game at 57-57 with just under three minutes remaining.
• The Woodinville, Wash., native added another basket to take a 60-58 lead, but the Gaels would tie the game and get a shot at the win.
• Needing a stop, it was Sheffey who secured the game saving block that forced overtime for the first time this season.
• In overtime, the Gaels scored the first two baskets, but the Toreros would not back down.
• Sheffey hit a pair of free throws and Neubert added another to cut the lead to just one.
• With just 33 seconds left, Olinger hit one of the biggest shots of the game, scoring just the second three pointer of the night for the Toreros and giving San Diego the lead for good.
• Pace and Sheffey each added free throws down the stretch to secure the 69-65 win.

 
TORERO TIDBITS

• San Diego played its first overtime game since Feb. 26, 2022, when they defeated Santa Clara.
• The Toreros snapped a two-game skid to the Gaels and won their first game over Saint Mary's in the Jenny Craig Pavilion since Feb. 15, 2020.
• The Toreros won their first game this season when trailing at halftime, snapping an 0-5 drought.
• The 27 free throws made by the Toreros matches the eighth highest single game total in program history. The 43 attempts tie last season's WCC tournament game against Santa Clara for fourth highest in program history.
• With one steal today, Pace tied Amy Kame (221) for fourth on the Toreros all-time steals list.
• San Diego finished with a season-high six blocks as a team in the win.

 
UP NEXT
The Toreros will wrap up 2022 with a matchup against Pacific, on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m., at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The game will be streamed via the WCC Network.