BILLINGS, MONTANA – #20 UT Tyler women's basketball slipped to 1-2 overall on the year as they closed out the DII CCA Tip-Off Classic at the Trailhead with a 56-46 defeat to Nebraska Kearney.
 
 The Patriots again got out to a slow start offensively as they shot just 20% from the field and went 0-for-10 from beyond the arc as the Lopers raced out to a 13-6 lead after the first 10 minutes.
 
The Lopers in the second quarter continued to push the pace, taking a 17 point lead with 2:21 left in the first half as the game teetered on getting out of hand. Needing a big spark. Mileina Sablinskaite and Hayley Cumming connected on a pair of huge three pointers, cutting the lead to 11 heading into the break.
 
That spark lit the Patriots offense on fire, as Mariah Neal, Cumming, Polina Latysheva, and Lilli Hakkarainen combined for a 12-3 run as they cut the lead down to just five with 5:13 remaining in the third. That run would carry into a 20-5 run as Cumming and Latysheva combined on three straight triples as the Patriots took a two point lead into the final frame.
 
Leila Davis and Neal would push the lead to five with a three pointer and a layup at the 5:35 mark, but a three pointer and a layup from the Lopers brought the teams back to a tie.
 
Davis would drop in another layup with 3:15 remaining to take a two point lead, but the Patriots offense went ice cold and the Lopers were able to take advantage with six free throws and a pair of jumpers as they ultimately ran their lead out to 10 to earn the victory.
 
Hayley Cumming and Polina Latysheva led the team with 11 and 10 points. Cumming would add three rebounds, one block, and one steal. Latysheva added four rebounds and a team high five steals.
 
#20 UT Tyler will get back to work next week at the South Central Region Challenge hosted by CSU Pueblo. There, they will take on the Thunderwolves and Colorado Christian. Those games will take place on November 14 and 15 in Pueblo, Colorado.