Box Score UTPB women's basketball grabbed a 15-point first half lead and controlled its Thursday night contest at Oklahoma Panhandle State, taking a 76-59 victory in Heartland Conference action in Goodwell, Okla.

The Falcons scored the first six points of the game on three baskets from Myangel Johnson. A 3-pointer from Valerie Barriga put the Falcons ahead 9-2 in the first three minutes of the night.

UTPB led by as many as 17 points in the first half on a three from Giselle Loya with 1:22 remaining to go on top 37-20 before taking a 37-22 lead into halftime.

The Falcons kept the big lead intact in the second half, going ahead by 19 points on a layup from Danielle Wilson 32 seconds into the first half.  

OPSU cut the UTPB lead down to 11 at 51-40, but Loya countered with a three to go back ahead 14 with 11:25 to play as the Falcons kept the lead in double figures the entire second half.

Barriga led the Falcons with 22 points on the night, hitting 9-10 from the free throw line with three 3-pointers, seven reboudns and five assists. Johnson had a double-double with 16 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. Loya led the Falcons with seven assists and had five 3-pointers in scoring 15 points, and WIlson hit 5-6 from the field to add 11 points with a pair of blocks.

The Falcons are back on the road Saturday afternoon, traveling to Lubbock, Texas, for a 1 p.m. conference contest at Lubbock Christian.