Weber State basketball: Parra drive lifts women to OT win over Idaho State
Wildcats begin Big Sky schedule with 2-1 record
- Weber State guard Kendra Parra (3) attempts a shot over an Idaho State defender on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
- Weber State women’s basketball head coach Jenteal Jackson, left, instructs forward Mata Peaua (44) during a game against Idaho State on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
- Weber State forward Taylor Smith (20) tries to shoot through contact from Idaho State’s Sophia Covello (22) on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
A women’s basketball game in which each team enjoyed long stretches of efficient offense slowed into a rock fight Saturday at the Dee Events Center.
A fourth quarter where Weber State and Idaho State combined to shoot 3 of 21 from the field led to an overtime period — the kind of game where one great individual play could be the difference.
WSU senior guard Kendra Parra provided it. With 20 seconds left and the game tied, Parra began high above the arc going left, crossed right and looped around the top of the key. She stuttered to fake a handoff on the wing, then resumed to the paint and drew contact.
Basket good, plus the freebie, and Weber State improved to 2-1 in Big Sky play with a 72-67 victory over Idaho State.
“Good team win,” WSU head coach Jenteal Jackson said. “Super proud of our group. Excited to keep building, keep getting better.”
Taylor Smith led Weber State with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Antoniette Emma-Nnopu added 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Parra finished with 11 points, including the final five of the contest. Rose Bubakar totaled 10 points and nine rebounds, just missing being the third Wildcat with a double-double. Kennedy Eskelson, with seven points, made the team’s only 3.
Weber State (5-8, 2-1 Big Sky) scored 25 points in the first quarter; WSU shot 13 of 22 from the field and 13 of 14 at the foul line to lead 40-33 at halftime.
“Our efficiency in the first half was really great. It was elite,” Jackson said. “I thought we did a good job of handling their defensive intensity, their defensive pressure. … Scoring 40 in the first half against an Idaho State team who’s always going to be really tough and defensive-focused is a really good first half.”
WSU finished with 16 turnovers — seven in the first half, and nine in the final three periods.
Idaho State (6-8, 1-2) had its answer in the third quarter, shooting 4 of 7 from deep and taking the quarter 22-14 for a 55-54 lead.
Sophia Covello, who led ISU with 16 points, scored eight of them in the third quarter and Maria Dias had five of her 10 in the third. Tasia Jordan finished with 14 total points.
The Wildcats overcame a 1-of-13 performance from the 3-point line, missing their final 11 attempts in the ballgame. But, though the Bengals made eight 3-pointers, they missed their final 12 attempts.
Piper Carlson scored to put Idaho State ahead 60-58 with 5:45 left in regulation. It took seven more minutes of game time before the Bengals made another field goal, scoring just two points in that stretch (which from the free-throw line).
“We just had a huge, huge focus and emphasis on defense and getting big stops down the stretch, the last 5 minutes of the game,” Jackson said. “We tried to break it into some segments and ultimately they only scored two points. … Our kids did a really good job stepping up to that challenge.”
Bubakar operated in the paint for a bucket and Emma-Nnopu scored the final basket of regulation with 1:40 left, sending it to overtime 62-62.
Dias appeared to give Idaho State an advantage with a smooth fadeaway for a 67-65 lead but it took nine seconds for Weber to go the other way. Parra bounced a transition pass to Emma-Nnopu for a layup to tie it 67-67 with 2:23 left.
ISU wouldn’t score again, leading to Parra’s winning drive.
The Wildcats next hit the road for games at Montana (5-10, 1-3) and Montana State (14-2, 4-0).