UTPB women's basketball improved to .500 in Heartland Conference play Saturday afternoon, picking up a big 74-54 victory over St. Edward's in Odessa.

The Falcons (12-8, 6-6) started out hot from the field on the afternoon, making five of their first seven gield goal attempts in the first five minutes. Valerie Barriga scored eight points early on and Giselle Loya added five as the Falcons jumped out to a 19-4 lead with 15:07 remaining in the first half.

UTPB kept up the offensive pressure, scoring the next seven points as part of 19 straight scored by the Falcons to increase their advantage out to 26-4 through the first 8:33 of the game.

Texas-Permian Basin never led by fewer than 16 over the rest of the first half and took its largest lead of the first with a 3-pointer from Loya in the final second of the half to lead 44-21 at halftime.

The Falcons led by as many as 28 points in the second half on a pair at the line by Danielle Wilson and kept the lead above 20 points for all but two possessions in the half in the 20-point victory.

Barriga scored a game-high 17 points to lead all players, while Loya added 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Wilson went 8-9 at the free throw line in scoring 12 and Myangel Johnson contributed 10 on the day.

Lexi Fatheree led all Hilltoppers with 14 points on the afternoon.

UTPB is back at home next week, hosting Texas A&M International Thursday night at 5:30 p.m.