LEXINGTON, Ky. -Â Nevada's run for the Women's Basketball Invitational title came to an end in Saturday's semifinals, as the Pack fell, 58-50, to Cleveland State.
Nevada (20-12) will conclude the event in Sunday's Third-Place Game against Bowling Green, tipping off against the Falcons at 2 p.m. PT.
Saturday's semifinal featured 13 lead changes and eight ties. Nevada held its final lead of the night at 45-44 with 7:01 to play after
Kylie Jimenez' 3-pointer. But Cleveland State (21-8) would score the next four points to go up 48-44, and prompt a Pack timeout, taking the lead for good.
Lexie Givens would hit a layup out of the timeout to pull the Pack to within one, but that was as close as Nevada would get. Destiny Leo, who scored a game-high 19 points, hit a triple to start an 8-0 Vikings run, and hit a pair of free throws to cap it, putting the Pack into a 56-47 hole with 1:04 remaining.
The Pack made just one of its final six attempts after Givens' layup, and thrice turned the ball over, over the final four minutes.
Da'Ja Hamilton and
Amaya West led the Pack with 10 points apiece, pacing a well-rounded scoring effort in which six Nevada players each scored at least six points.
Nevada battled its way to an 11-7 lead after the opening quarter, the Pack limiting the Vikings to just three field goals in 11 attempts. But Cleveland State would find its mark in the second, going 10-for-15, including 3-for-5 from deep, outscoring the Pack, 26-16, to take a 33-27 lead at the break. The Pack again clamped down, in the third, holding Cleveland State to just a 2-for-8 showing on the way to tying it up at 40-40 entering the fourth.
Neither team shot well in the final frame, with the Pack going 4-for-15 and Cleveland State 3-for-10. The difference came at the line, as the Vikings went 11-for-12 over the final 10 minutes.