TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler women's basketball capped off the regular season in style with a 78-67 win over Texas A&M International on Saturday afternoon inside the HPC.
 
With the win, the Patriots officially booked themselves as the number three seed in the Lone Star Conference Tournament, and they will face off with number six seed Angelo State in the opening round on March 6^th at 12 p.m.
 
UT Tyler shot a blistering 50.9% from the field, their fourth best mark of the season, and held the Dustdevils to just 35.8% from the floor to close out the regular season.
 
Hayley Cumming posted a program record seven blocks in the win while Leila Davis dropped in 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting for her sixth 20+ point outing of the season.
 
The Patriots wasted no time getting things rolling on offense, scoring 21 points in the first quarter on 61.5% shooting and a trio of three pointers. Both Mileina Sablinskaite and Leila Dais scored five points in the period. The Dustdevils nearly matched the Patriots output in the first, scoring 19 points and staying within reach after the first 10 minutes.
 
UT Tyler continued to stay hot in quarter two, scoring 18 points on 50% shooting as Mariah Neal led the scoring with five points and both Cumming and Davis added four each. However, the Dustdevils would get hot in the middle part of the quarter, going on a 12-2 run to take a 31-27 lead. Down the stretch of the half, they kept the Patriots just at bay, taking a 40-39 lead into halftime.
 
The Patriots came out firing to start the second half, running out of the break on a 10-2 run to take a seven point lead with 5:38 to play in the frame. The Dustdevils would battle back, cutting the lead down to four by the end of the period. Davis stayed hot, scoring 10 points and knocking down all four free throws, including scoring the last eight points for the Patriots in the quarter.
 
With a 59-55 lead in hand, UT Tyler put a bow on the game with a strong defensive effort that saw them allow just three made shots from the Dustdevils as they held them to 17.6% shooting. Cumming would tally five of her seven blocks in the fourth quarter alone, playing a major role on defense.  UT Tyler's offense would respond with 19 points of their own as six different players scored. The period was capped off with a 15-4 run over the final 3:40 of the game to ensure the double digit win.
 
Davis would add in four rebounds and an assist to go with her 21 points. KK Bass scored 10 points to be the other double-digit scorer as she added four rebounds and a steal.
 
Five other Patriots scored at least eight points, and the Patriots defense forced 23 total turnovers. UT Tyler held a 24-17 bench points advantage and a 46-36 points in the paint advantage.
 
UT Tyler and Angelo State will lead off the women's Lone Star Conference Tournament on Friday, March 6^th,  at noon. Those games will be played at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.