box score

SAN ANTONIO – Leading 85-84 with 2.1 seconds to play in overtime, the University of Texas of the Permian Basin women's basketball team called a timeout when it didn't have any resulting in a technical foul which enabled St. Mary's to shoot a pair of free throws. DeAnna Patterson made them count as she sank them both to give the Rattlers an 86-85 win over the Falcons.

Liz Boyd hit a three-pointer with three seconds to play in overtime to tie the game at 74 which capped off a 13-0 run in the last 2:53 to play in regulation. Missy Jackson hit the back end of a pair of free throws with just under three minutes to play giving UTPB a 74-61 advantage but it would be the Falcons' final point in regulation.

The Rattlers out-rebounded UTPB 52-32 and scored 19 second chance points and found a way to survive 27 turnovers to improve to 10-6 on the year and 2-0 in Heartland Conference play. The Falcons on the other hand tallied 20 steals marking the fifth time this season UTPB has reached the 20-steal barrier.

Once the teams got into overtime, Kristen Williams, who finished with game highs 22 points and 16 rebounds, hit a jumper 12 seconds in giving the Rattlers a 76-74 lead. The lead would not last long as Tammy Acosta hit one of her three three-pointers with 4:02 to go giving UTPB a 77-76 cushion. The Falcons would go up by as many as six with 2:12 to go in the extra time when Andrea Chavez knocked down a three to make it 85-79. Like in regulation, it would be the last points the Falcons would score the rest of the way. After Chavez's bucket, UTPB would not get another chance the score.

The Rattlers took advantage of three turnovers by UTPB in the closing minutes and trailed by one with less than 10 seconds to play. Patterson missed a jumper inside the lane that was grabbed by the Rattlers' Nicole James. Acosta was able to take the ball away from James with 2.1 seconds to go, but a timeout by the Falcons resulted in a technical foul, giving the Rattlers two shots and the ball back.

Ironically, the Falcons held the lead nearly the entire way except on two occasions, including a 13-point advantage on two different instances.

Miesha Blackshear had another stellar performance for the Falcons with 19 points, nine rebounds, six steals and two assists. She hit 7-of-12 shots from the field and knocked down 5-of-7 free throws. Acosta finished with 18 points and a game-high five assists, while Andrea Chavez added 15 on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-3 from behind the three-point line.

UTPB will return home to host Arkansas-Fort Smith on Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. in the Falcon Dome.