As the season has progressed
Morgan Helgesen has found her grove from the field. On Saturday the sophomore tied a season-high with 17 points while also pulling down eight rebounds against Eastern New Mexico in Odessa. For Helgesen it was her third straight game in double figures and surpassed her total scoring output for last season with a month to play.
It took a bit for both offenses to settle in before Helgesen finally made the first bucket of the game on the Falcons' third possession. After a pair of Greyhound free throws,
Makayla Bingley and Helgesen responded with threes to take a six-point lead. The visitors flipped the script with three straight from long range to take the lead before
Holly Hemmeline's three-pointer tied things at 11. With just over a minute to go in the quarter,
Khiara Flugence got in on the action with a layup for the 13-11 lead, which would hold through the end of the quarter.
The visitors got off to a quick start in the second quarter and grabbed a nine-point lead before the first Falcon bucket from
Alexus Quaadman. The Greyhounds stayed hot from the field, pushing their lead to as many as 12. The Falcons closed the final minute strong with a jumper by Bingley and a pair of free throws by
Avalon Munoz to cut the halftime deficit to eight.
The long ball kept the Falcons in the game early in the second half, including a pair by Helgesen. While the visitors attemped to pull away, the Falcons refused to quit and kep the game within striking distance. Four free throws, two each from
Kamari Portalis and Quaadman, sent the game into the fourth quarter with the Falcons trailing 45-40. In the fourth quarter the offense went cold, only hitting three field goals in the eventual 63-50 final.
Bingley was the only other Falcon in double figures with 10 points on the afternoon. Munoz added seven points, five rebounds, and five steals. Quaadman had her streak of double-doubles ended at five, being held to four points and seven boards.
The Falcons start a two-week road trip next Thursday as they look to hold onto a spot in the Lone Star Conference playoffs. They start action at West Texas A&M at 5:30 PM in Canyon. Download the UTPB Athletics App to follow the team all season long.
