EDMOND, Okla. (December 12, 2024) – Both teams held a double-digit lead at one point, but a rough fourth quarter doomed The University of Texas Permian Basin women's basketball team in a 60-57 defeat at Oklahoma Christian University on Thursday evening.
All four quarters were similar in script, with the two teams starting off ice cold during the first half of the period before heating up during the second half.
It was a very rough first quarter for UTPB, which shot just 4-for-16 (25.00 percent) from the field while allowing Oklahoma Christian to shoot 8-for-14 (57.14 percent) in the opening period. However, the Falcons did get two 3-pointers from
Taysha Rushton and then a three by
Avalon Munoz at the buzzer to trail 20-13 after one quarter of action.
An and-one by
Kamari Portalis started a 7-0 run for UTPB to start the second quarter and tie the game at 20-20 as the Falcons began to switch to a trapping zone on defense. Unfortunately, OC's Kate Bradley had the answer, shooting over the top of the Falcons' defense and connecting on a 3-pointer from the top of the key, good for her fourth 3-pointer of the first half and giving the Eagles back the lead (23-20).
UTPB answered back with 3-pointers by
Nikki Green to tie it (23-23) and then by
Morgan Helgesen to take the lead (26-23) halfway through the period.
It was again Munoz sinking a late bucket for the Falcons at the end of the quarter, this time getting into the paint and draining a midrange shot in the final few seconds of the first half to make it a one-point UTPB lead (32-31) at the break.
Bradley was 5-for-7 from three in the first half for OC, but Rushton did her best to keep pace and sank her third three of the game on the first possession of the second half, and then Helgesen and
Makala Bingley added 3-pointers on the next two UPTB possessions to make it a 41-33 Falcons' lead.
The Falcons' defense held the Eagles to just one basket and two points in the first five and a half minutes of the third quarter while a second-chance layup for
Khiara Flugence made it an 11-point UTPB lead (44-33) with 4:30 left in the period.
OC, however, closed out the third quarter on a 14-5 run to make it just a two-point deficit (49-47) heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter went to script as after a free throw by both teams represented the only points in the first four minutes of the period, the teams went on to make a combined five consecutive shots, including two 3-pointers from OC to retake the lead (56-55) with just under five minutes remaining.
The Eagles then finally began to break through the Falcons' trapping zone defense and got into the paint for back-to-back jumpers by Taylor Jackson to put the Falcons down by five points (60-55) with three minutes left. After six missed shots in a row by UTPB, Flugence finally ended the drought with an offensive rebound and layup to make it a three-point game (60-57) in the final minute.
In all, there were five ties and 10 lead changes in the game.
With 16 seconds left, the ball in OC's possession and UTPB with just two teams fouls, UTPB had three opportunities to try and force a turnover before sending the Eagles to the free throw line. The Falcons' attempt to force a turnover before fouling was successful on the second try as Ciara Harris was harassed by Helgesen and stepped out of bounds trying to catch the inbounds pass.
Unfortunately, Rushton was off the mark on the potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds, and then after an offensive rebound by Helgesen, she was fouled to give UTPB another chance with just 2.9 seconds left. The inbounds pass from the baseline from Rushton went to Munoz at the top of the key, who was immediately fouled with just 1.1 seconds remaining. Munoz then inbounded it from the sideline to Rushton, but with her defender draped all over her, did not have enough time to get the shot off.
Despite leading the game 17-9 in points off turnovers and coming up with 18 offensive rebounds to lead 17-10 on second chance points, UTPB was unable to seal the deal after scoring just eight points in the fourth quarter.
The Falcons were just 3-for-16 (18.75 percent) overall and 1-for-6 (16.67 percent) from three in the final period.
In addition, UTPB's field goal percentage of 26.9 percent from the game was its lowest of the season and was its lowest since January 28, 2023, vs. Eastern New Mexico University (25.4 percent).
Rushton and Helgsen both finished with three 3-pointers and 12 points for UTPB. Munoz added nine points while Flugence contributed with eight points and 10 rebounds. Portalis scored all eight of her points in the second quarter.
After allowing Texas A&M University-Kingsville's Jessica Payne to shoot 7-for-9 from three and score 23 points the game before, UTPB saw Jackson score 22 points and grab 14 rebounds and watched Bradley connect on 6-for-11 shots from long range for 20 points this time around for Oklahoma Christian.
With its first loss to Oklahoma Christian since both teams joined the Lone Star Conference and its first defeat against the Eagles since the 2015-16 season, UTPB falls to 5-4 overall and 3-1 in the league. OC, meanwhile, improves to 4-3 overall and gets on the board in conference play at 1-2.
UT Permian Basin remains in Oklahoma on Saturday, December 14, to battle Cameron University. The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
Â
