TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler women's basketball kept the train rolling with a dominant defensive display in a 69-49 win over Western New Mexico on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Patriots held the Mustangs to just 32.1% from the field and only 19% from beyond the arc. On top of the shooting effort, the Patriots also forced the Mustangs into 17 turnovers and picked up 13 total steals and turned those into 14 points.
 
That suffocating effort was led by Mariah Neal, Ella Bradley, and Polina Latysheva, who each combined for 11 of the teams steals on the day.
 
The two teams opened up the contest in a battle as Western New Mexico held the early advantage at 9-8. The Patriots would battle back as they closed out the quarter on a 7-3 run to take the three point lead into the break.
 
The two teams struggled to find their footing over the first couple of minutes in the second frame, but the Patriots found their rhythm behind a balanced attack on offense as five different players scored in the second quarter. That attack combined with a defensive effort that held the Mustangs to just 16.7% in the quarter led to a 15-7 advantage and an 11 point lead at the break.
 
To open up the second half, the Patriots ramped up the defensive pressure, snagging four steals over the first 7:24 of the period on their way to a 19-9 run that saw five points each from Lovisa Hevinder, Tina Machalova, and Mariah Neal as the lead grew to 21 with just 2:36 remaining in the third quarter.
 
However, the Mustangs would not go away, and answered with a crucial 10-0 run over the final 2:33 of the period to cut the lead all the way back down to 11 with the final quarter yet to play.
 
In that final frame, the Patriots put together one of their best runs of the contest as they held the Mustangs without a field goal for the first 4:42 of the period while they rattled off 10 points. Machalova was the key during the run as she scored six points in a 49 second period to put the Patriots ahead comfortably.
 
Over the final 4:53 of the game, the Patriots outscored the Mustangs 10-8 while going 3-for-4 from the field and 3-3 from the line to hold off any attempt at a comeback.
 
Lovisa Hevinder continued her monster weekend by tacking on 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting and 3-for-5 from the line while dishing three assists. She also totaled 11 rebounds, marking her sixth career double-double and first of the season.
 
Tina Machalova led all scorers with 18 points on 4-for-6 shooting and 8-for-10 from the line. She knocked down a pair of triples and grabbed four rebounds on the night.
 
Ella Bradley also jumped into double figures with 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting. She picked up five rebounds and three assists while also totaling three steals.
 
Mariah Neal snagged five steals on the day, making her total 10 for the weekend. She also scored seven points and grabbed a pair of rebounds.
 
The Patriots will now head into the conference break with a pair of matchups against Arlington Baptist and Southern Arkansas inside the HPC. They will host Arlington Baptist on December 15 in a scheduled 5 p.m. tip, and then host Southern Arkansas on December 19 for a 1 p.m. tip to round out their schedule before Christmas break.