TEMPE, Ariz.—It was one of the tensest games this season for Pacific women's basketball (5-3), but it hung on to prevail over Temple (3-5), 79-78, in its second game of the Briann January Classic on Saturday.
 
Senior Liz Smith matched her season-high 21 points. Junior Elizabeth Elliott earned her second straight double-double this week, racking up 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Senior Kadie Deaton finished with 12 points.
 
The Tigers had an 18-15 lead after the first quarter and built on it during the next 20 minutes.
 
Pacific was up by double-digits for most of the game and led 60-47 entering the fourth quarter. The double-digit lead held until the 6:02 mark in the fourth quarter. Temple went on a 7-0 run to cut the score within five, 65-60. Smith and graduate student Cecilia Holmberg combined for three-of-four from the free-throw line to keep the Tigers atop, 68-62, with under five minutes to go.
 
The Owls trimmed the score to four during the next three minutes. In that vital stretch, Elliott tallied eight of the next nine points for the Tigers to push the lead back to seven, 77-70, with 32 seconds left.
 
Pacific led by five as the clock ticked down, but Temple drained a three to make it a two-point game with nine seconds left.
 
Shortly after, a technical foul was called on Pacific resulting in a free-throw opportunity for the Owls. Temple shot one-of-two from the charity stripe. Still with the possession, the Owls attempted a layup that missed and junior Anaya James grabbed the board. She dribbled the ball out to center court to end the game for Pacific.
 
The Tigers shot 47.6% (30-63) from the field, 30.8% (4-13) from the three-point line and 75.0% (15-20) at the free-throw line.
 
The Owls were 42.9% (33-77) in shooting, 15.8% (3-19) from behind the arc and 64.3% (9-14) at the charity stripe.
 
"I thought our team played a heck of a game," said head coach Bradley Davis. "It was a good battle. Good toughness. They figured it out and got it right at the end. But I'll credit those last seven seconds to Anaya James. She got a tip, got a steal and got the runout."
 
Up next, the Tigers return home then travel later in the week to Flagstaff, Ariz. where they will face Northern Arizona at 11 a.m. PT/12 p.m. MT on Wednesday, December 6.