box score

LAREDO – Teisha King poured in 23 points while Miesha Blackshear just missed a double-double as the University of Texas of the Permian Basin women's basketball team improved to 9-2 on the year with a 97-83 win over Bellarmine in the first game of the Texas A&M International Invitational.

Blackshear added 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds, while Missy Jackson and Andrea Chavez added 16 and 10 points respectively as the Falcons won their fourth-straight game.

UTPB led for all but 30 seconds of the contest and at one time held a 15-point advantage midway through the second half.

Jackson hit a jumper 17 seconds into the game which was the start of a 14-0 run to open the contest. Bellarmine finally got on the board at the 16:03 mark when Allison Osen made a layup to make it 14-2. Bellarmine would eventually tie it at 20 after a 14-6 run with 10:02 to play in the first before taking a 22-20 advantage after a pair of free throws by Kirsten Delph.

The lead would not last long as the Falcons used a 9-0 run to lead 29-22 with 6:32 to go before the break after a jumper by King. UTPB would eventually go into the locker room with a 45-40 lead at the half. The Falcons came out firing in the second half, jumping out to a 52-42 lead with 17:12 to go and would extend it to 66-51 with just under 14 minutes to play.

Bellarmine would fight back once again as they would tie the contest at 76 before taking a 78-76 lead after a pair of free throws. Like the first half, the Falcons were not phased as they went on a 19-3 run to lead 95-81 with 2:23 to go.

The Falcons shot 43.7 percent from the field and picked up 12 steals while forcing 22 turnovers. They will continue action tomorrow when they take on the University of the Southwest for the second time this season. UTPB defeated the Mustangs 104-51 in the first meeting.