ODESSA, Texas (February 20, 2025) – Playing in what was its final home game before Senior Day, The University of Texas Permian Basin women's basketball team put up a great effort against one of the top teams in the Lone Star Conference, No. 6 nationally-ranked The University of Texas at Tyler, but despite leading 37-34 at halftime, the Falcons fell by a final score of 62-55 against the Patriots on Thursday inside the Falcon Dome.

UTPB came up short despite the best efforts offensively from Taysha Rushton and Morgan Helgesen, who combined for 38 of the Falcons' 55 points. Rushton scored 21 points, her sixth-straight game with at least 20 points, and shot a very strong 11-for-12 from the charity stripe. Helgesen scored 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting from three, and added nine rebounds.

Avalon Munoz finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists, but committed nine turnovers, while Khiara Flugence had seven points to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds.

As a team, UTPB committed a season-high 23 turnovers, but dominated the battle on the boards by a margin of 40-29 overall and 17-3 on the offensive glass. It was the fourth time this season the Falcons have totaled exactly 40 rebounds in LSC action, tying their second-highest overall total of the season.

However, the Falcons also finished shooting just 28.8 percent from the field, tying their third-lowest percentage of the season, and were outscored by 30 (42-12) on points in the paint.

UTPB led by as many as 11 points twice in the first quarter after hitting four 3-pointers, including two by Helgesen, while Rushton went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the opening period. In the end, the Falcons led 24-15 after the first quarter.

The Patriots, meanwhile, started the contest 0-for-7 from three in the first quarter before heating up and shooting 57.14 percent (8-14) from the field and 50 percent (3-6) from three in the second quarter. Coincidentally, those would be the only made 3-pointers in the game for UT Tyler. The Patriots' 15.0 percent (3-20) mark from three was the lowest allowed by the Falcons this season against a conference opponent.

The Falcons led for over 16 minutes in the first half, but the third quarter is where things went off the rails at UTPB was outscored 14-2 while shooting just 1-for-11 (9.09 percent) from the field and 0-for-5 from three. The Falcons also committed 10 turnovers in the period and were outscored 6-0 in points off turnovers.

UTPB was held scoreless for the final six minutes of the third quarter as UT Tyler turned a one-point deficit (39-38) into a nine-point lead (48-39) heading into the fourth quarter.

From there, UT Tyler grew its lead to as many as 16 points (16-4) in the first three minutes of the final period after an 8-0 run. UTPB would not get back to within single digits until after an 8-0 run of its own on a tip-in by Helgesen with four and a half minutes left, a 3-pointer by Munoz with two minutes left, and a 3-pointer by Helgesen to make it 59-52 with under two minutes left to play.

After a 1-for-2 trip to the free throw line by UT Tyler with 20 seconds left, another 3-pointer by Helgesen made it a five-point game (60-55) in the final 11 seconds, but a 2-for-2 mark on the next trip to the line by the Patriots put it out of reach.

In addition to outscoring the Patriots 16-14 in the fourth quarter, the Falcons' 12-for-14 mark at the free throw line tied their second-highest free throw percentage (85.7 percent) of the season.

UTPB falls to .500 overall (13-13) this season and 11-9 in the LSC, and is now tied for seventh place in the conference standings (tied with West Texas A&M University), while UT Tyler improves to a very strong 24-2 and 19-1. UT Tyler is ranked No. 6 in the latest WBCA Top-25, the highest mark in program history, and is ranked No. 2 in the D2CSC South Central Regional rankings behind only Texas Woman's University.

After taking on two of the three teams tied for first place in the Lone Star Conference in its last two games, UTPB will now take on the final team in first place in the conference and the newly-minted No. 1 nationally-ranked in NCAA Division II, Texas Woman's University, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, during the Falcons' Senior Day. After the game the Falcons will honor their four seniors.