REDDING, Calif. - The women's basketball team returned home to face UC Merced in a thrilling come-from-behind victory, 53-51.
The Red Hawks erased a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to get back in the win column.
Both teams played a grueling defensive battle in the first quarter as they combined for 13 points in favor of the Bobcats, 7-6.
Rory Hetrick proved to be a one-man wrecking crew as she scored all six Simpson points.
Gabby Sebit scored the first points of the second quarter as she put away a layup in the paint.
Simpson and UC Merced battled back and forth as they exchanged buckets.
Hannah Parsons drilled a late three-pointer right before the half to cut the Bobcat lead to four as they headed into the half trailing 20-16.
A 6-0 Red Hawks run early in the third quarter by buckets from Hetrick,
Itzel Torres, and
Rachel Gafford put the Red Hawks within three points.
However, the Bobcats came out firing out of the break as they outscored Simpson 24-13 to extend its lead to as much as 15 points.
Simpson faced a massive 17-point deficit early in the fourth quarter.
But the comeback began with a Hetrick jumper.
A 24-7 dominant fourth quarter of play by the Red Hawks helped erase the Bobcat lead.
Buckets by Hetrick, Gafford, Sebit, Torres, Parsons, and
Nikki Thompson helped fuel the late fourth-quarter rally.
A free throw by Parsons with just over one minute of play tied the game at 49.
Parsons missed her second free throw but
Nikki Thompson played hero as she grabbed the offensive board and put away a highly contested shot that drew a foul.
Thompson converted her free throw to complete the three-point play to put Simpson up 52-49.
After Simpson and UC Merced exchanged free throws the 53-51 game in favor of the Red Hawks came down to the final shot.
The Bobcats gave a last-second desperation three-point heave that found the defensive arms of Thompson.
With the win, Simpson snaps its two-game losing streak and is currently in sole possession of fourth place in the Cal Pac playoff race.
Rory Hetrick had a huge game as she recorded a double-double with a team-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Rachel Gafford followed Hetrick with eight points as she nailed six of her eight points in the fourth quarter.
Simpson looks to stay hot as they welcome UAV this Thursday at 5:30 PM.
