Analise Lucio continues to prove why she is one of the best all around players in the Lone Star Conference, tying her career high with 58 assists.  Lucio and UT Permian Basin needed everyone one of those points in a thrilling five set win over St. Mary's on Saturday.
 
Lucio wasn't the only one with a monster performance for the Falcons, who also added 19 digs.  Isela Murillo led all players with 19 kills along with 17 digs.  Aquincia Strambler and Taurie Magge followed their huge performances on Thursday with 14 kills each.  Daylee Doggett finished with a team high 23 digs while Sara Antic had her best performance of the season with 12 kills.
 
The teams traded points in the first set before the Falcons pulled ahead with a 3-0 run.  The Rattlers then made a run of their own, taking a lead late with a 6-1 run.  Trailing 21-18, the Falcons closed on a 7-1 run and took the first set.  Magee had three kills in the run including the final one of the set.
 
Set two was another tightly contested one and was tied at 16 halfway through the set.  From there all the Falcons could take was one point and tied the match at two sets apiece.  The Rattlers took the early lead in set three but back-to-back errors as part of a four-point Falcon run put the Falcons back in front.  With the score tied at 19, the Falcons took charge with six of the next nine points for the set victory.
 
The next set was another back-and-forth battle and tied at 16.  Once again it was the Rattlers who took over late, as the Falcons only scored four times the rest of the set.  In the decisive fifth set, the Falcons took momentum early.  Kills by Magee and Murillo followed by a Rattler error had the Falcons up four.  The Rattlers answered to pull close at 14-13.  With the momentum the Rattlers way, their defender tipped the net going up for the block and the deciding point and the Falcon win. 
 
It was Lucio's seventh double-double of the year and the fourth for Murillo.
 
The Falcons hit the road next week to go out of state.  They'll face Oklahoma Christian on Friday before taking on Arkansas Fort Smith on Saturday.  Download the UTPB Athletics App for the latest news and updates on your favorite Falcon teams.