ODESSA, Texas (November 23, 2024) – Playing in its fourth straight home game to open the season, The University of Texas Permian Basin also opened up Lone Star Conference play against Angelo State University and proceeded to pull out a 10-point win, 67-57, over the Rambelles on Saturday inside the Falcon Dome.

Taysha Rushton led all players in scoring with 19 points while Khiara Flugence notched a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. For Rushton, it was her second time already this season scoring 19 points while for Flugence, it was her second-career and first double-double of the season.

In addition to scoring 11 points, Avalon Munoz became the Falcons' all-time leader in minutes played with 3,275. Tammy Acosta is now second all-time with 3,248 minutes while Munoz's teammate, Morgan Helgesen, is third on the list with 3,054 minutes.

Helgesen would add six points and a game-high five assists while Nikki Green scored seven points and Natalie Milwood chipped in with six points and seven rebounds.

After both teams shot 34.5 percent from the field in the first half, UTPB (3-1 overall, 1-0 LSC) outscored ASU (2-2, 0-1) 22-10 in the third quarter and shot 64.29 percent (9-14) from the field while holding the Rambelles to a 4-for-13 mark (30.77 percent) in the period.

Strangely enough, there was not a single tie or lead change in the game as the Falcons led 12-0 to start after six early points by Flugence and did not allow a bucket by the Rambelles until after over six and a half minutes in.

It was only a three-point Falcons' lead (32-29) at halftime, and ASU cut its deficit to just one point three times in the first three minutes of the third quarter before a 10-2 UTPB run ending with a 3-pointer by Helgesen to make it 47-37 with exactly four minutes on the clock.

UTPB would then close out the final two minutes of the third quarter on an 8-0 run ending with a midrange jumper by Milwood assisted by Munoz as the buzzer sounded.

That allowed the Falcons to extend their lead to 54-39 going into the final quarter of action before another 3-pointer by Helgesen to open the final period made it an 18-point lead (57-39).

UTPB Head Coach Rae Boothe spoke after the game and said, "Overall, I'm very proud of our team for starting LSC play off with a win. We had some great moments and great runs. We started off really strong and Angelo fought its way back to make it a one-possession game at half. The third quarter was by far our best quarter on both sides of the ball. We will continue to work to try to play that kind of basketball for 40 minutes."

After earning its first win over ASU since 2015 during the regular season last year and then defeating the Rambelles by 20 points, 71-51, in the Lone Star Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, UTPB has now won three of the last four meetings between the two teams.

Next up for UTPB will be the Lady Buff Thanksgiving Classic, hosted by West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. The Falcons will first play New Mexico Highlands University at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 29, before taking on Adams State University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 30, in a rematch of last season's 96-83 defeat for UTPB in the opening round of the NCAA South Central Regional.