ODESSA, Texas -- UT Permian Basin posted an 81-63 victory over UT Tyler Thursday night, as both teams produced four double-digit scorers in a Lone Star Conference matchup.
Kelsey Crouse was one of four Patriots in double figures, scoring a team-high 14 points while Carah Burdette added a season-high 11 points to go with 10-point efforts from Aubree Adams and Kylea Johnson.
After the loss, UT Tyler fell to 3-13 overall and 1-11 in Lone Star Conference play, while UT Permian Basin improved to 8-10 overall and 5-7 in the LSC.
Turning Point: UT Permian Basin exploded from the opening tip with an 11-0 run to start the contest, knocking down 5 consecutive shots in the first 3:05 to put the lead in double digits early. Kelsey Crouse helped the Patriots respond with an 11-5 run, scoring the first 7 points (and 9 of the first 11) for UT Tyler. That 11-5 run cut the Falcons' lead to 16-11, but UT Permian Basin finished the first quarter and started the second with a 9-0 run that pushed the lead back into double digits.
How It Happened: UT Permian Basin's game-opening 11-0 run sparked the Falcons to a 21-11 lead after the opening quarter, and they added a 15-4 run midway through the second quarter to extend the lead to 41-21 with 1:33 left in the half. The Patriots cut the halftime margin to 18, 44-26.
Kylea Johnson knocked down a three-pointer with 6:53 left in the third quarter, capping a 7-0 run which pulled UT Tyler within 15, 48-33, and less than two minutes later Lilli Stewart nailed a three which also made it a 15-point game, 53-38. With just over two minutes to play in the third, Johnson hit another three, cutting the lead to 57-43, but that was the closest the Patriots got until Miranda Villegas hit a three-pointer with 3:22 left in the contest that cut UT Permian Basin's lead to 69-55. The Falcons scored 8 points in the final 2 minutes, pulling away for the 81-63 victory.
UT Tyler Standouts: Kelsey Crouse scored a team-high 14 points and collected all 4 of UT Tyler's steals, while Carah Burdette came off the bench to score in double figures for the first time this year with 11 points. Aubree Adams and Kylea Johnson scored 10 points each, and Beezy Birchette was the Patriots' leading rebounder in a 4-point, 8-rebound effort. Birchette also recorded a team-high 3 assists.
UT Permian Basin Standouts: The Falcons also featured four players in double figures, led by Holly Hemmeline's game-high 19 points. Jordan Rogers and Jada Berry added 15 points each, and Alexus Quaadman made 6-of-7 shots to register 12 points. Berry registered a game-high 6 steals, and Quaadman recorded a game-high 3 blocks.
By The Numbers: UT Permian Basin made 9-of-12 (75 percent) shots from the field in the opening quarter, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, and the Falcons finished the game just under 50 percent, hitting 34-of-70 (49 percent) overall and 10-of-33 (30 percent) from three-point range… UT Tyler shot 41 percent (24-for-59) overall and 29 percent (7-for-24) on three-pointers… UT Permian Basin posted a 38-34 rebounding margin, plus edges of 21-9 in points off turnovers, 13-12 in second chance points, and 26-20 in bench scoring.
What's Next: UT Tyler continues its long road trip with a visit to the western edge of the Lone Star Conference footprint to take on Western New Mexico on Saturday, Jan. 25.
