LAS VEGAS -- Veronica Sheffey scored 24 points and Cali Clark recorded a double-double and fourth-seeded San Diego State clinched the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament beating No. 2 seed Wyoming 72-68 in triple overtime of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Wednesday night.
It was the first triple overtime championship game in MWC history.
Naomi Panganiban scored 17 points, Clark scored 12 points and grabbed 17 rebounds and Kim Villalobos scored 11 for the Aztecs (25-9), who are returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012.
Malene Pedersen scored 19 points, Allyson Fertig scored 17 and grabbed 18 rebounds and reserve McKinley Dickerson had 10 points for the Cowgirls (22-11).
Villalobos' layup to start the third overtime broke a 64-all tie and the Aztecs led for the remainder. Wyoming never led in three sessions of overtime.
Sheffey's 3-pointer with 2:02 left in the second overtime gave San Diego State a 61-56 lead -- its largest -- before Wyoming closed with an 8-3 spurt to force a third overtime. Fertig made two free throws with seven seconds left to knot it and force the extra session.
Villalobos' three-point play with 2:54 remaining in the first overtime gave San Diego State a 52-47 lead. Wyoming rallied to close the extra session with a 7-2 run to knot it at 54. Emily Mellema's layup with seven seconds left brought Wyoming into a tie and neither team could convert shot attempts following time outs.
Knotted at 47-all with 2.2 seconds left in regulation, off the inbounds, Pedersen put a up an off-balance shot that was nowhere near the rim to force the first overtime.
The fourth quarter was a display of shooting futility as Wyoming went 2-for-11 from the field and scored four points and San Diego State went 2-for-10 for six points.
