TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler gave Angelo State all it could handle, but the Rambelles bounced back from a shaky first-half start to hand the host Patriots a 69-66 defeat Thursday night.

Miranda Villegas led the way, nailing 4-of-6 three-pointers to finish with a season-high 16 points as she easily surpassed her previous high of 5 points. The Patriots could not have asked for a better start, hitting 4-of-8 threes in the opening quarter to take a 20-13 lead into the second quarter. Angelo State, meanwhile, missed 16 consecutive three-pointers to start the game before Sawyer Lloyd ended the three-point drought with 7:09 left in the third quarter.

The lead changed hands 14 times in the contest, and the Patriots held a lead in the final minute after a Kelsey Crouse jump shot pushed UT Tyler in front, 66-65, with 1:09 remaining. Angelo State hit free throws on each of its next two possessions, but Angelo State missed two free throws with 8 seconds left to give the Patriots a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer. Crouse got a shot off from beyond the arc, but it came up short as time expired.

With the loss, UT Tyler dropped to 3-15 overall and 1-13 in Lone Star Conference play, while Angelo State improved to 12-5 overall and 9-4 in the LSC.

Turning Point: UT Tyler opened up a 20-9 lead in the opening quarter, scoring its first six points on a pair of Aubree Adams three-pointers before Miranda Villegas nailed back-to-back threes to give the Patriots an early 12-4 lead. Kelsey Crouse sank a pair of free throws to give UT Tyler its first double-digit lead, and Tyreesha Blaylock finished the run with consecutive two-point jumpers that pushed the lead to 20-9 with just over a minute left in the opening quarter. Thanks to that early cushion, UT Tyler was able to withstand the Rambelle rally when Angelo State finally got a few three-pointers to fall through the net starting in the third quarter.

How It Happened: Aubree Adams jump-started the Patriot offense with back-to-back three-pointers. and Miranda Villegas kept the pressure on with back-to-back three-pointers to give UT Tyler a 12-4 lead. Tyreesha Blaylock's consecutive two-point jumpers gave the Patriots a 20-9 lead, its largest of the game with just over a minute left in the opening quarter.

Angelo State responded by outscoring the Patriots 14-6 in the second quarter to gain a 27-26 halftime edge. Another big scoring quarter pushed UT Tyler in front, giving the Patriots a 48-47 lead after three quarters. The lead changed hands another three times in the final period, starting with a Catara Samuel three-pointer which broke a 48-48 tie with 9:41 remaining. After Kylea Johnson hit a three-pointer two minutes later to tie the game at 53-53, Angelo State scored 8 in a row to take a 61-53 lead with 6:09 remaining in the game.

UT Tyler answered with a 6-0 run, and a Beezy Birchette trey with 2:24 to play really made things interesting, cutting the Angelo State lead to a single point, 63-62. It was a one-possession game the rest of the way, as De'Anire Moore and Tori Shoemaker traded baskets in the paint before Kelsey Crouse sank a short jumper to give the Patriots a 66-65 lead with 1:09 left. Angelo State erased the lead with four consecutive free throws, and the Rambelles hung on for the win when all three of UT Tyler's three-point attempts in the final 30 seconds were off the mark.

UT Tyler Standouts: Freshman Miranda Villegas was one of four Patriots in double figures, scoring a season-high 16 points on a 6-of-9 shooting performance which included a 4-of-6 clip from beyond the arc. Beezy Birchette added 11 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season, while Kelsey Crouse and Tyreesha Blaylock added 10 points each for the Patriots. Crouse also registered a season-high 6 assists.

Angelo State Standouts: Although Angelo State struggled from long range early in the game, De'Anira Moore was a dominant force in the paint. She led all scorers with 24 points on a 10-of-12 shooting performance, and she added 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. Five of her 10 rebounds came from the offensive glass, leading to several putbacks that provided the bulk of the Angelo State offense until the Rambelle shooters began connecting from long range in the second half. Sawyer Lloyd ended the three-point drought and finished with three makes from distance in a 16-point performance. Asia Davis added 11 points, while Catara Samuel finished with 9 points along with a game-high 12 rebounds.

By The Numbers: UT Tyler committed a season-low 9 turnovers, while Angelo State's 8 turnovers also represented the lowest by a Patriot opponent this year… The Patriots did capitalize on those turnovers, generating a 15-10 advantage in points off turnovers… UT Tyler also registered a 15-8 edge in fast break scoring… Led by De'Anira Moore and her 24 points and five offensive rebounds, Angelo State posted a 28-14 edge in points in the paint and a 15-6 margin in second chance points as the Rambelles recorded a 44-40 margin in rebounds… UT Tyler finished the game shooting 39 percent (24-for-62) overall and 30 percent (8-for-27) on three-pointers… Angelo State shot 37 percent (23-for-63) with a 19 percent (6-for-31) clip from three-point range… Kelsey Crouse reached double figures in scoring for the 11th time in 14 Lone Star Conference games.

What's Next: UT Tyler is back home on Saturday, Feb. 1, to host defending NCAA Division II national champion Lubbock Christian, which enters Saturday's contest ranked eighth nationally.