TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler women's basketball returned home for the first time in nearly three weeks and went right back to protecting their home court with a dominant showing in a 61-38 win.
 
As a team, the Patriots shot 42.6% from the floor and held the Rattlers to just 29.7% shooting on the way to a 23 point margin of victory. The Patriots forced the Rattlers into 28 turnovers on the night and grabbed 17 steals, while turning those into 29 total points.
 
That one point Rattlers lead came with a single free throw made at the 8:01 mark of the first quarter, but Tina Machalova went on a 4-0 run by herself to put the Patriots in the lead for good.
 
The Patriots went on to outscore the Rattlers 16-2 from that 1-0 deficit, and they led 16-3 after the first 10 minutes. In the first quarter, five different Patriots got on the board, with Destini Whitehead scoring six points on two three pointers in the final two minutes.
 
The Rattlers again struck first in the second period with a layup to start off, but the Patriots closed out huge on offense and defense, running the remainder of the quarter on a 16-7 run that again saw five different Patriots who scored and the defense forcing the Rattlers into five turnovers.
 
To open up the second half of play, the Patriots scored four quick points as Ella Bradley dropped in the layup and then Meagan Mendazona picked up a steal in a layup to move the lead out to 24 points.
 
The Rattlers would continue to battle, closing the quarter out on a 9-0 run in the final 3:18 of the period to close the gap to 17 heading into the final quarter of play.
 
The Rattlers bit first in that final period with a three pointer, but the Patriots ripped off an 8-2 run on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting to quickly get the lead back to 20 points. That run would grow all the way out to 18-2 in the Patriots favor, as they held the Rattlers to just 1-for-3 shooting and forced them into 11 turnovers while shooting 8-for-11 over the 7:27 stretch of gametime.
 
That big run would seal the deal for the Patriots as they closed out their 25^th consecutive home win by 23 points and ensured a season sweep of St. Mary's.
Both Brooklyn Palmer and Destini Whitehead led the way with 11 points each, as both knocked down three three pointers. Tina Machalova would also score 10 points on the night on an efficient 4-for-6 from the floor.
 
Ella Bradley led the team with six rebounds and four assists, as she also scored eight points. Whitehead, Palmer, and Meagan Mendazona each snagged three steals.
 
Up next for UT Tyler will be another home matchup, this time against St. Edward's as they look to pick up a 26^th consecutive home victory.