SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – In front of a record crowd of over 500 at the Kaiser Permanente Arena, senior Heather Thompson's 21 points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots led the Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team to a 57-56 overtime victory over UC Santa Cruz Saturday night.
 
With the win, the Cougars end their regular season at 13-15 while UC Santa Cruz falls to 17-8 overall.
 
"Tonight was a really big win for our team," said interim head coach Crystal Harris. "We are so proud of the way they played."
 
Thompson's put back layup with five seconds remaining in overtime proved to be the game winner for the Cougars. The Banana Slugs had a chance to win it but Geena Giovannetti missed a pair of free throws with 0.4 seconds on the clock.
 
Senior Alex Alvarado's pulled-up jumper from 10 feet away at the :05-second mark in regulation that pushed the game into overtime. 
 
With nine ties and 12 lead changes, neither team held a double-digit advantage at anytime throughout the game. The Cougars won the battle of the board, finishing with 59 to the Banana Slugs' 39.
 
Thompson snags her ninth double-double of the season while recording a program-best six blocked shots. Alvarado finished with nine points, matching her season high set at Dixie State on Nov. 22. Senior Mackenzie Harnett recorded nine points and eight rebounds while junior Brianna Higgins added 11 rebounds. 
 
"We overcame a lot of adversity and beat a very good team tonight," Harris said. "This is the kind of game we needed to get us ready for West Virginia."
 
The Cougars' head to the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I) Conference Championships March 6-8 in Montgomery, W. Va.