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Utah Tech University Athletics

WBB - Gonzales game-winner at NDNU
Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics
66
Winner Dixie State DX-WBB 2-12/2-6 PacWest
63
Notre Dame de Namur NDNU-WBB 6-7/4-2 PacWest
Winner
Dixie State DX-WBB
2-12/2-6 PacWest
66
Final
63
Notre Dame de Namur NDNU-WBB
6-7/4-2 PacWest
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Dixie State DX-WBB 22 9 12 23 66
Notre Dame de Namur NDNU-WBB 16 22 11 14 63

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Women’s Hoops rallies to defeat NDNU Saturday, 66-63

Jaden Gonzales buries go-ahead triple with 22 seconds remaining to clinch 14-point comeback win

Jaden Gonzales (Plainview, Texas/Plainview HS) buried the go-ahead 3-pointer with 22 seconds left, and Matti Ventling (Las Vegas, Nev./Las Vegas HS) connected on two free throws to clinch a 66-63 come-from-behind victory for Dixie State women's basketball (2-12, 2-6 PacWest) at Notre Dame de Namur on Saturday in Belmont, California.

The Trailblazers overcame a 14-point second-half deficit in the win, outscoring the Argonauts 23-14 in the final period to avenge an overtime loss to NDNU at the Burns Arena on December 17, and finish the three-game northern California trip with a 2-1 record.

DSU and NDNU went back and forth in the first quarter until the Trailblazers used a 12-0 run over a four-minute span to take a 20-9 lead at the 2:25 mark in the period. Gonzales knocked down her first trey of the game to spark the run, and added another jumper two possessions later, while Ashlee Burge (Riverton, Utah/Herriman HS) added four points, and Ventling capped the run with a traditional 3-point play. NDNU countered with a 7-2 run to close the quarter, and DSU took a 22-16 lead into the second quarter.

The Argonauts continued the run into the second quarter, extending the run to 18-2 to take a 27-22 lead at the 6:47 mark. Ventling ended the scoring drought with a layup on the ensuing DSU possession, but the Trailblazers managed just seven more points in the period, and trailed 38-31 at halftime.

NDNU picked up where it left off in the third quarter, opening the period on a 7-0 run to take a game-high lead at 45-31 at the 7:54 mark. Burge ended the run with two free throws, and Ali Franks (Redding, Calif./Enterprise HS) drilled a triple to spark a 9-0 run for DSU to pull to within 45-40 with 3:38 remaining. NDNU later pushed the lead back to 49-40, but Franks beat the third quarter buzzer with another 3-pointer to cut the lead to 49-43 after three quarters.

Franks started the fourth quarter the way she ended the third, and connected on her third triple of the game to pull DSU to within 49-46 just 40 seconds into the final period. Franks forced an NDNU turnover on the ensuing possession, leading to a Gonzales layup. After an NDNU timeout, the Trailblazers forced another turnover, and Shelby Kassuba (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline HS) converted a traditional 3-point play to give DSU a 51-49 lead, its first lead since the 9:42 mark of the second quarter.

Dixie State later pushed the lead to 57-53 with 4:17 remaining after back-to-back layups from Burge and Franks. The teams traded leads over the final four minutes, until Gonzales buried the go-ahead 3-pointer from the right wing with 22 seconds remaining to give DSU a 64-63 lead. Franks forced another NDNU turnover on the next possession and passed to Ventling, who made two free throws after being fouled to seal the 66-63 win.

DSU shot 46 percent (25-of-54) from the field, 26 percent (5-of-19) from beyond the arc, and 84 percent (11-of-13) from the free throw line. Burge led three DSU players in double figures with 18 points and three assists. Gonzales finished with a career-high 15 points, while Franks also added 15 points with six rebounds and two steals. Ventling chipped in nine points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Dixie State returns to the Burns Arena to host Dominican on Wednesday at 5 p.m., before heading back on the road to southern California next weekend.
 
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