TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler women's basketball shot 49% from the floor and held Midwestern State down on the offensive end to earn the 77-58 win to move to 2-0 in Lone Star Conference play.
The Patriots handled their business by shooting 29-for-59 from the floor and knocking down seven triples while holding the Mustangs to just 33% shooting and 17% shooting from deep.
Additionally, the Patriots forced the Mustangs into 19 turnovers and picked up 11 steals and five blocks while turning those into 20 points off turnovers.
Tina Machalova led the way individually for the Patriots with 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting. She knocked down a pair of triples and tied for the team lead in rebounding.
It was Midwestern State who held the early advantage at 8-5 after three two pointers and a pair of free throws. However,
Montse Gutierrez led the charge back for the Patriots by knocking down a key triple to tie the game. A layup back the Mustangs way pulled them back in front, but a 13-6 run to close out the quarter for UT Tyler thanks to a pair of triples and layups from both
Ella Bradley and
Gabby Elliott moved them in front permanently.
Despite an opening triple from the Mustangs to start the second frame, the Patriots opened up the floodgates by outscoring Midwestern State 21-9 over the remainder of the second quarter to open up a huge 14 point lead at the half. The Patriots defense made key contributions to a 12-0 run immediately after that three pointer, and held the Mustangs without a field goal for 6:24 of game time.
Despite the big deficit at the break, the Mustangs put together a 14-8 run to start the second half to cut the lead down to single digits at the 5:42 mark of the third quarter. However, the Patriots again had the big answer as a critical and-one layup from Bradley brought the lead back to 11 and they never looked back. That sparked a 13-2 run in UT Tyler's favor, marked by a buzzer beating jumper that banked home by
Mariah Neal to expand the lead out to 19.
The final frame saw the Patriots hold off any pressure from Midwestern State, as they equaled the Mustangs shot for shot and tied the quarter with 14 points each. In that fourth quarter, the Patriots held the Mustangs to just 26.7% shooting from the floor and 0% from beyond the arc to shut down any hopes of a potential comeback.
Ella Bradley and
Montse Gutierrez joined Machalova in double figures as they scored 16 and 11 points each. Bradley chipped in four rebounds and four assists while Gutierrez also added in four assists, three steals, and three blocks.
With the 2-0 LSC start, the Patriots have successfully started their LSC slate with two straight wins for the second consecutive season under head coach
Rebecca Alvidrez. Last season, the Patriots started 9-0 before falling to Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Next up for UT Tyler will be a return to the Herrington Patriot Center as they host Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico on December 7 and 9. The contest against the Greyhounds is scheduled for a 5 p.m. tip on Thursday and the matchup with the Mustangs is scheduled for a 1 p.m. tip on Saturday afternoon.
