CANYON, Texas (February 6, 2025) – Looking to earn its fourth win in a row for the first time this season, The University of Texas Permian Basin women's basketball team instead fell by five points to West Texas A&M University for the second time this season, dropping a 72-67 decision during Paint the Floor Pink Night at the First United Bank Center in Canyon.

The Falcons could not have drawn up a better start, leading 14-2 after a 12-0 run featuring two 3-pointers by Morgan Helgesen.

After making six of their first 10 shots of the game, the Falcons then went scoreless for the final four and a half minutes of the first quarter while the Lady Buffs finished the period on a 9-0 run after hitting a buzzer-beating two-point jumper to make it 14-11.

Taysha Rushton ended the UTPB scoring drought with a stepback jumper on the first possession of the second quarter, but WT took its first lead of the contest (26-24) on a corner 3-pointer with four minutes left in the first half and then took a 35-33 lead into the halftime break and hitting a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the half.

After starting the game 2-for-3 from three, UTPB missed its next nine attempts from long range, but tied it at 39-39 and 42-42 both times on threes by Rushton in the third quarter.

Then after a 3-pointer by Avalon Munoz made it 47-46 Falcons with 1:20 left in the period, WT closed it out with another buzzer beating shot to take a 50-47 lead into the final quarter.

WT took a six-point lead (53-47) after a 3-pointer on the first possession of the fourth quarter, but UTPB battled back and took the lead (54-53) on the third 3-pointer of the half by Rushton. The Falcons then closed out a 9-0 run to lead 56-53 on a second-chance layup by Natalie Milwood less than three minutes into the final period.

After a second-chance shot by Ruston broke a tie and made it 58-56 Falcons, the Lady Buffs got back-to-back 3-pointers to go up by four (62-58) with 5:19 left in the game. WT was 3-for-5 from three to start the fourth quarter.

In the end, there were 11 ties and seven lead changes, but after another jumper by Rushton tied it at 62-62 with 3:17 left, UTPB trailed 66-62. Rushton's fourth 3-pointer of the second half got the Falcons to within one with less than two minutes to go, but WT finished the game with eight straight made free throws to prevent a comeback.

The biggest difference was WT shooting a combined 17-for-23 from the free throw line while the Falcons shot just four free throws the entire game and did not have an attempt from the line in the fourth quarter. It was UTPB's lowest number of free throws attempted in a game since February 17, 2024, vs. Cameron University. Free throws also played a factor in UTPB's first loss this season against WT, a game in which the Falcons missed seven shots from the line (9-16) during a five-point loss.

UTPB shot 50 percent from the field in the fourth quarter (9-18), but was just 2-for-7 from three. The Falcons actually shot 50 percent from the field in both the second and fourth quarters, but just 33.33 percent in the first and third quarters.

In what was ultimately the deciding quarter on the scoreboard, WT shot 64.29 percent (9-14) in the second quarter, which was also the lone quarter for UTPB without a 3-point make. In the end, the Falcons were just 26.9 percent (7-26) from three.

Rushton, the third leading scorer in the Lone Star Conference at 15.6 points per game, finished with a game-high of 24 points, but was 10-for-28 from the field and 4-for-12 from three. In addition to her second-straight 20-plus point outing, Rushton also added 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals and recorded her first double-double as a Falcon.

Helgesen added 12 points and five rebounds; Khiara Flugence had 10 points and nine rebounds; and Munoz finished with 10 points, four boards and five assists.

UTPB falls to 12-10 overall and 10-6 in the LSC while WT improves to 14-9 and 8-8. The Falcons are still in third place in the West Division at 6-4, but are now tied for fifth place overall in the LSC standings.

Next up, the Falcons head to Eastern New Mexico University for the second game of a four-game road swing on Saturday, February 8. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central Time / 1 p.m. Mountain Time from Portales, New Mexico.