TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler emerged from its 10-day layoff after last week's game cancellations by starting fast and nearly posting its first Lone Star Conference victory, but St. Mary's pulled away in the final quarter to hand the Patriots a 53-45 defeat Wednesday afternoon.
UT Tyler made its first three shots of the game and took an early 10-3 lead in a game which featured seven lead changes. The Patriots held a lead as late as the final minute of the third quarter before St. Mary's tied it at 34-34 to close out the third. The Rattlers opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer and led the rest of the way, starting the final period with an 18-6 run.
The Patriots were led by Kelsey Crouse and Taylor Jackson with 12 points each, while Briley Perkins also tallied 12 points, all on three-pointers, to lead St. Mary's.
With the loss, UT Tyler drops to 0-7 on the season, while St. Mary's improves to 3-6.
Turning Point: Taylor Jackson capped a 13-2 third-quarter run which erased a 9-point deficit and gave UT Tyler a 36-34 lead heading into the final minute of the third quarter, but St. Mary's responded with a tying basket from Hannah Wilson in the closing seconds of the third quarter and a three-pointer to open the fourth. That represented the start of a 20-6 run which gave the Rattlers s 52-40 lead with 1:44 remaining in the contest.
How It Happened: Kelsey Crouse and Kayla James scored back-to-back layups in the first minute of the contest, helping UT Tyler to a quick start and an early 10-3 lead midway through the opening quarter of the contest. St. Mary's responded with an 8-0 run over the rest of the quarter, however, taking an 11-10 lead. A Josephine Elliott three-pointer with 7:18 left in the second quarter gave UT Tyler a 15-14 edge, but the Rattlers answered again with a 13-4 run before Shala Robinson scored in the closing seconds of the half to cut the halftime margin to 27-21.
Crouse and Jackson each hit three-pointers that helped erase a 9-point deficit, with Jackson's trey capping a 13-2 run that gave UT Tyler a 34-32 lead with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter. Hannah Wilson tied the game at 34-34 with a layup in the closing seconds of the third quarter. Briley Perkins opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to break the deadlock, and St. Mary's extended the consecutive baskets into a 20-6 run to pull away down the stretch.
UT Tyler Standouts: Kelsey Crouse led the way for UT Tyler, scoring 12 points with 4 assists and 5 steals, which were all team-highs. Taylor Jackson also scored 12 points and collected 3 steals, while Azaria Reed finished with 8 points.
St. Mary's Standouts: Three different players scored in double figures for the Rattlers, led by Briley Perkins' 12-point effort on 4-of-11 three-point shooting. Tonia Bilic came off the bench to score 11 points with 7 rebounds, and Hannah Wilson posted a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double. Wilson also had a pair of blocks, and Mya Culiver dished out 5 assists for St. Mary's.
By The Numbers: St. Mary's finished with a 38-26 rebounding edge, which led to a 10-4 advantage in second chance points… Hannah Wilson grabbed 9 of the Rattlers' 12 offensive boards… UT Tyler committed 13 turnovers and forced 19 out of St. Mary's, but the Rattlers produced a 19-13 edge in points off turnovers… UT Tyler shot 34 percent (17-for-50) from the field and 29 percent (4-for-14) from three-point range… St. Mary's shot 38 percent (19-for-50) overall and 37 percent (10-for-27) on three-pointers.
What's Next: UT Tyler completes the two-game Lone Star Conference series with St. Mary's with a Saturday visit to San Antonio. The Patriots are back home next week, hosting UT Permian Basin on Wednesday, Feb. 3., to make up one of the opening-weekend contests which was postponed.
