box score

LAREDO – Leading by as many as 18 in the first half, the University of Texas of the Permian Basin held off a late surge by Texas A&M International, who pulled within two midway through the second, but the Falcons eventually pulled away to take an 83-71 win. UTPB improved to 12-3 overall and 1-0 in Heartland Conference play.

Missy Jackson busted out for a season-high 21 points, hitting 6-of-11 shots from the field including knocking down five of the nine three-pointers she attempted. As a team, the Falcons drained 13 three's and grabbed 13 steals including five from Miesha Blackshear.

UTPB jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the game's first five-and-a-half minutes hitting three three-pointers and took advantage of five Dust Devil Turnovers. A&M International regrouped to pull within five (16-11) after a layup by Micheda Sobers, who finished with six points.

Tina Lira knocked down one of her two three-pointes with 10:15 in the first to give the Falcons a 21-11 advantage. They would keep a double-digit lead the rest of the half. Lira would also knock down the last shot of the half as her jumper found the bottom of the net at the buzzer to give UTPB a 53-35 halftime lead.

A&M International came out firing in the second half as it hit its first five shots and out-scored the Falcons 21-5 over the first eight minutes to close the gap to 58-56 with 12:07 to go, but UTPB, which made just two of its 18 shots of the half, never lost the lead.

The Falcons shot just 29.7 percent from the field in the second half and made just two three-pointers in the final period and used a 15-7 run over the next six minutes to take a commanding 73-63 lead.

A layup by Sobers pulled the Dust Devils within six (73-67) with just over five minutes to play but would come no closer the rest of the way.

Tammy Acosta was the only other Falcon in double-figures with 17 while Blackshear added nine.

UTPB will try to make it 2-0 in Heartland Conference play when it heads to San Antonio to take on St. Mary's at 2 p.m. on Saturday.