ODESSA, Texas (February 5, 2026) – After the two teams found themselves tied at 28-28 at the half, The University of Texas Permian Basin women's basketball team sank four 3-pointers by four different players in the third quarter to take control of the game, and then outscored the Mustangs 25-21 in a high-scoring fourth quarter to finish off a 71-60 victory on Saturday inside the Falcon Dome.

UTPB (13-9 overall, 8-6 Lone Star Conference) put four players in double-figure scoring in back-to-back games for the first time all season.

Madison Walters recorded her first-career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, and also added three steals, showcasing her all-around prowess.

Juliet Esomchukwu matched Walters with 13 points and added six rebounds and a team-high five assists while also shooting was flawlessly from the free-throw line (7-7).

Waikimihia Douglas-Karauna scored 11 points on efficient shooting (5-7) and added five rebounds and two steals.

Mikalah Buckley scored 10 points, and Crystal Jones finished with eight points and helped UTPB dominate the boards by adding 11 rebounds.

Nine of UTPB's 12 players in the game entered the scoring column, while only four players scored for WNMU, with two Mustangs scoring over 20 points. Subsequently, UTPB led the game 20-0 on bench points.

UTPB scored the first nine points of the third quarter on 3-pointers by Buckley, Esomchukwu and Douglas-Karauna, the last one making it a 37-28 lead three and a half minutes into the period.

All four of UTPB's made field goals in the third quarter were 3-pointers, but a 6-for-7 mark at the charity stripe helped UTPB maintain its lead. WNMU did not shoot a free throw in the third quarter and started the game 0-for-6 from the line until going 8-for-8 in the fourth quarter to stick around in the final period. In the end, the Falcons doubled up the Mustangs in makes from the free throw line (16-8).

WNMU tied to challenge UTPB in the fourth quarter, cutting its deficit to four points three times in the first four minutes of the period. However, six turnovers in the final frame would hurt its chances as a steal and a layup by Walters made it 54-46 Falcons three minutes into the fourth quarter.

A layup by Douglas-Karauna with five minutes remaining made it a 60-52 lead, and then WNMU went without a field goal for over four minutes.

A pair of free throws by Esomchukwu made it an 11-point game (63-52) with 3:20 left, and WNMU never got closer than to within seven the rest of the way.

Despite shooting 62.5 percent (10-16) in the fourth quarter, UTPB was outshot 42.1 percent to 37.5 percent for the game.

UTPB also committed one more turnover than WNMU (19-18) and was outscored 22-14 in points of turnovers and 34-32 in points in the paint.

On the positive side, however, the Falcons outrebounded the Mustangs by 20 (50-30) overall, including a 23-10 margin on the offensive glass, and led 25-11 on second chance points. It was UTPB's most total rebounds and most offensive rebounds this season.

UTPB had previously defeated WNMU by points on the road and by 22 points at home last season.

Head Coach Rae Boothe spoke after the game and said, "It was not pretty, but we had to win that game, and we were happy that we were able to do that. We are still in position to compete for the postseason. We rebounded well today. We have a ton of respect for WNMU. They competed hard for 40 minutes with a limited roster size and a very young team. Juju provided a huge spark for us and played her best overall game of the season. Walters had her first double-double. She plays so hard all the time. She is a winner everyday with how she works. Crystal had impactful minutes again for us with 11 boards and eight points in 16 minutes. Next week is the biggest week of the season. We look forward to getting back to work."

Next up, UTPB will head to St. Mary's University for what Coach Boothe calls her team's most important game of the season. The Falcons and the Rattlers will battle starting at 5:30 p.m. from on Thursday, February 12, from Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio, Texas.