TEMPE, Ariz. – Back in action for the first half of a back-to-back, the San Diego women's basketball team (2-5, 0-0 WCC) came up short against Little Rock by a 51-37 final score as USD was competing in their first game of the 2025 ASU Thanksgiving Tournament at Desert Financial Arena. 

Olivia Owens played in her hometown for the first time as a Torero as she scored 10 points, while Eva Ruse gave USD some good production off the bench by scoring six points and collecting eight rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After the Toreros won the game's opening tip, Hallie Rhodes got the scoring started by knocking down a paint jumper to give her team an early lead. 
• Later in the quarter, Malia Tharpe grabbed a key offensive rebound and scored a put back to even the score at four all. 
• After the Trojans went on a run to build a lead, USD responded with an Owens layup and Ysabella Von Seipler connected on a big three to put USD ahead 11-10. 
• San Diego would later split free throws at the end of the quarter as the score was 12-all through one quarter of play. 
• Getting the second quarter going, Eva Ruse got to work on the glass by securing an offensive board and putting the ball in the basket as USD lead 14-12 early. 
• Midway through the quarter, Owens pushed the ball down the floor and pulled up just inside the key and connected on a mid-range jumper that evened the score at 16.
• The rest of the first half was a defensive struggle between the two sides as Little Rock entered the locker room leading 20-16. 
• Coming out of the half, Ayla Williams got to work in the paint as she put home a layup to cut the Torero deficit down to two points. 
• After the Trojans built their lead up to seven, Von Seipler continued her strong scoring output by knocking down a mid-range jumper to make the score 27-22. 
• With less than a minute remaining in the third, Ruse made a strong move to the basket and scored a driving layup as the Toreros trailed 41-29 heading into the final quarter. 
• Little Rock would go on to continue controlling the rest of the game as they picked up the 51-36 victory over USD on Saturday evening. 

TORERO TIDBITS

• Owens led USD by scoring 10 points and coming away with a pair of steals against the Trojans
• Williams made her second consecutive appearance in the Torero starting lineup as she scored five points, collected eight rebounds and blocked four key shots. 
• Von Seipler had another good game for her team off the bench as she scored eight points, grabbed five rebounds and knocked down a pair of shots from beyond the arc. 

NEXT UP
San Diego will be back in action bright and early tomorrow, November 30 at 10:00 a.m. PST as they will be facing Southeast Missouri State (2-3, 0-0 OVC) to wrap up the weekend tournament. Sunday's game will not be streamed, but a live statistics link can be found via team's schedule page.