TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler women's basketball program made history Tuesday night as they earned their first postseason win as a full-fledged Division II member with a 55-38 victory over Midwestern State.
 
The Patriots defense proved to be suffocating throughout the night as they held the Mustangs to a season low 20.6% from the floor and just 9.1% from beyond the arc.
 
The Patriots scored the first bucket of the game after Tina Machalova knocked down a three pointer and they never looked back. Layups from Liah Davis and Destini Whitehead helped run the lead out to 7-1 after just three minutes of game time. A jumper from Machalova, another layup from Davis, and a pair of Montse Gutierrez free throws ran the score out to 13-8 to end the quarter. The defense from the Patriots showed early, not allowing a Mustangs field goal for the final 3:45 of the quarter and allowed just three total for the entire ten minutes.
 
Frances King of Midwestern State knocked in a three pointer of her own to start the second quarter, but that was answered by a big and-one layup from Machalova and another layup from Whitehead. A turnover and fastbreak layup from Gutierrez stretched the lead all the way out to nine after the quick 7-0 run.
 
That quick offense set the tone on defense for UT Tyler as they allowed no field goals over a 5:57 stretch in the period. The only two points for Midwestern State came from the free throw stripe during the drought. It took a pair of Frances King jumpers to pull them out of the slump as both teams headed to the locker room with UT Tyler up by five.
 
As both teams came out of the locker room at the half, it was UT Tyler who seized the momentum early and never let up. An 11-5 run over the first 4:53 of the second half built their lead up to 11 points. Four different Patriots contributed on the run as they held the Mustangs to just two made field goals.
 
With the lead up to 13 after the first three quarters, Lovisa Hevinder knocked down a jumper in the paint to extend the lead to 15 points just 1:06 into the fourth period. That stifling Patriots defense held the Mustangs scoreless for the first 3:47 of the period and that allowed the Patriots to stretch the lead out to 18. Both teams traded buckets over the next four minutes and that allowed the Patriots to stretch out the game and run the clock down for the victory.
 
The Patriots held the advantage in fast break points by a margin of 7-2, and the advantage in points off of turnovers at 8-4. The real damage was made in points in the paint, as UT Tyler held a 32-12 advantage over the Mustangs.
 
Three different Patriots reached double figures on the evening, and Destini Whitehead led the way with 17. Machalova added in 16 of her own and also came away with three steals.
 
Liah Davis proved to be a force in the paint, collecting her sixth double-double of the season as she had 10 points and 14 rebounds.
 
Next up for UT Tyler is a trip to the LSC Quarterfinals where they will take on Texas Woman's for the third time this season. The Pioneers hold the number two seed in the LSC Tournament and that contest will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Friday inside the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.