SAN JOSE, Calif. (Interstat) — In a Mountain West Conference women’s basketball game defined more by grit than grace, San Jose State secured just its third win of the season, edging Nevada 60-57 on Wednesday night at the Event Center.

The Spartans, who improved to 3-17 overall, overcame a poor shooting night by dominating the free throw line and making critical defensive stops in the final minutes. The Wolf Pack fell to 7-12 despite holding a lead for much of the contest.

The game’s decisive sequence unfolded in the final half-minute with the score knotted at 56. Following a Nevada turnover, San Jose State’s Maya Anderson drove for a layup, assisted by Amira Brown, to put the Spartans ahead 58-56 with 32 seconds remaining. Nevada’s ensuing possession resulted in a missed turnaround jumper by Maia Rosarion. The Wolf Pack retained possession after a foul, but Ahrray Young could only split a pair of free throws, making it 58-57 with 10 seconds left.

San Jose State’s Allie Cummins was immediately fouled and calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to 60-57 with 10 seconds on the clock. Nevada’s final attempt to tie, a three-point field goal by Young, missed as time expired.

The contest was a struggle offensively for both teams. Nevada shot just 34.4% from the field and a crippling 50% from the free throw line, missing six of its 12 attempts. San Jose State was only marginally better from the floor at 38.5% but capitalized at the charity stripe, converting 14 of 16 free throws. The Spartans’ efficiency from the line proved the ultimate difference in a three-point game.

San Jose State was led by Maya Anderson of Toronto, who scored 15 points in 34 minutes. McKenna Simons of Overland Park, Kansas, provided a key spark off the bench with eight points, including two three-pointers, in just 13 minutes. The Spartans also benefited from a balanced effort that saw contributions from Allie Cummins with six points and two assists, Stella Sgro with five points and four assists, and Amelie Sitterud with six points and a block.

For Nevada, Skylar Durley of Oklahoma City shouldered the offensive load with 13 points. Maia Rosarion of Vancouver, Canada, was efficient off the bench, scoring 10 points in 11 minutes, all in the second half, including three three-pointers. Izzy Sullivan of Sammamish, Washington, facilitated the offense with five assists to go with six points.

The game began at a glacial offensive pace, with both teams combining for several missed shots and turnovers in the opening minutes. Nevada built a narrow 17-15 lead after the first quarter and maintained a slim 34-32 advantage at halftime, largely on the strength of Durley’s mid-range game.

The third quarter saw San Jose State chip away, outscoring Nevada 15-12 to take a 47-46 lead into the final period. The Spartans’ defense tightened, forcing eight Nevada turnovers in the second half. The Wolf Pack’s offensive rating of 81.8 points per 100 possessions underscored their struggles to find consistent scoring outside of brief bursts from Rosarion.

Nevada’s 13 offensive rebounds gave them extra chances, but they could not convert them sufficiently, managing only 20 points in the paint to San Jose State’s 26. The Spartans also won the turnover battle marginally, committing 14 to Nevada’s 13, and converting them into nine steals.

The victory snaps a four-game losing streak for San Jose State, which had lost 12 of its last 13 entering the night. For Nevada, the loss continues a difficult stretch in conference play, dropping them to 1-3 in their last four games.

According to the Interstat ELO system, Nevada entered the game with a 73% probability to win. The Spartans defied those odds by executing in the clutch, a rarity for a team with their record this season.

San Jose State travels to face San Diego State on Saturday. Nevada returns home to host UNLV, also on Saturday.