LAREDO, Texas (January 22, 2026) – In a matchup between the sixth-place (UTPB) and seventh-place (TAMIU) teams in the Lone Star Conference women's basketball standings coming into the game, it was the UT Permian Basin women's basketball team that found itself behind by 15 points late in the second quarter and again going into the fourth quarter. In the end, UTPB could not recover despite outscoring Texas A&M International University 17-10 in the fourth quarter, and fell by a final score of 57-49.

It was the second time this season UTPB trailed TAMIU going into the fourth quarter, but despite a good effort, this time, the Falcons were unable to complete the comeback.

A 3-pointer by Mikalah Buckley made it a 7-6 Falcons' lead early on and represented the fourth lead change within the first four and a half minutes of the game. The Falcons then extended their lead to 11-8 after a jumper by Crystal Jones less than a minute later, but two 3-pointers for TAMIU in the final four minutes of the first quarter accounted for a 6-1 run that ultimately gave the Dustdevils the lead for good.

In all, the two teams combined for five lead changes, two ties and 14 turnovers (6 UTPB, 8 TAMIU) in the first quarter, both shot 4-for-11 (36.36 percent) from the field and both made three free throws, but the biggest difference was three first-quarter 3-pointers for the Dustdevils to take a 14-12 lead after the opening period.

It took just over four minutes into the second quarter for TAMIU to match its field goal total from the first quarter as the Dustdevils extended their lead to 10 points (22-12) with four layups.

UTPB, meanwhile, started 0-for-6 from the field in the second quarter and do not score its first points of the period until a pair of free throws by Jasmin Holt four and a half minutes in. That finally stopped what was an 11-0 scoring run between a 3-pointer to end the first quarter and the first eight points of the second quarter for TAMIU.

The Dustdevils would add three more 3-pointers to their total in the second quarter and took a 15-point lead (31-16) lead after a 9-0 run (all on 3-pointers) ended with back-to-back triples by Bridgette Tello with under three minutes to go before halftime.

TAMIU shot 50 percent (7-14) from the field en route to outscoring UTPB 19-10 in the second quarter, and was 6-for-11 (54.5 percent) from three in the first half to lead by 11 points (33-22) at the break.

UTPB would be unable to cut its deficit to single digits in the third quarter and was held to 10 points for the second quarter in a row and to four made field goals for the third quarter in a row. Despite outrebounding the Dustdevils 11-3 in the third period, the Falcons also committed 10 turnovers as TAMIU kept up its defensive pressure and made it difficult for the Falcons to get past halfcourt and get good shots.

Down by 15 points (47-32), UTPB tried to make its run early in the fourth quarter as a 3-pointer by Madison Walters was followed by a layup by Waikimihia Douglas-Karauna to make it a 10-point game (47-37) two and a half minutes into the final period.

A jumper by Kenadi Rising and a 3-pointer by Pa'Shawna Wheeler then made it a 10-0 start to the fourth quarter for UTPB and cut the deficit to just five points (47-42) halfway through the period.

TAMIU, meanwhile, started the fourth quarter 0-for-8 from the field and 0-for-4 from three before getting off the schneid six and a half minutes in.

As the game went under the three-minute mark, a 3-pointer by Jonesha Neal made it just a four-point margin (51-47), but the Dustdevils scored on each of their next two possessions. A layup by Walters made it 55-49 with under a minute and a half remaining, but after allowing the Dustdevils to run all the time off the shot clock on their ensuing possession, which took the game to under a minute left to play, the UTPB defense could not secure the defensive rebound, and instead TAMIU got a layup to make it 57-49, effectively putting the game away.

The UTPB defense held TAMIU to just one made 3-pointer in the second half and won the rebounding battle 34-29 overall and 10-8 on the offensive glass. It was a good effort on the boards by the Falcons against a big TAMIU team that was tied for second in the LSC at 14.8 offensive rebounds per game coming in.

However, the Falcons also turned it over 20 times, just two turnovers shy of TAMIU's season average of opponents' turnovers (22.1 per game) that ranks third in the LSC.

Nobody scored in double digits for the Falcons, who were led by Buckley with nine points off the bench. Rising scored eight points and added 11 rebounds, and Walters scored eight points while adding five assists. For TAMIU, Tello led all players with 28 points on 10-for-19 shooting from the field while Carmen Morcillo added 12 points on 4-for-10 shooting from three.

In the first meeting this season between UTPB and TAMIU in Odessa (Dec. 13), UTPB found itself behind 58-50 going into the fourth quarter before scoring 27 points in the final period to earn the comeback win, but this time, the 15-point margin heading into the fourth quarter was too much for the Falcons to overcome.

With its second loss in a row after a big win over Angelo State University last week, UTPB falls to 11-8 overall and 6-5 in the LSC. TAMIU, which had won four straight games in conference play before falling last time out at home vs. Texas A&M University-Kingsville (69-52), improves to 9-7 and 6-4.

It was the fourth time this season UTPB scored just 49 points, tying its second-lowest scoring output of the year.

After playing just one game this week on Thursday, UTPB will do the same next week, hosting Angelo State University at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, January 29, in the team's final game of January.