Box ScoreSeason StatsCANYON, Texas – In a back-and-forth game throughout, University of Texas-Permian Basin upset No. 1-ranked West Texas A&M, 77-73 at the First United Bank Center Friday evening in the season-opener for both teams. The game saw 15 ties and 15 lead changes.
The Lady Buffs were led by senior
Chontiquah White with 20 points and 10 rebounds leading four players in double figures. Sophomore
Sasha Watson added 16 points off the bench, while junior
Danielle Logan added 13 and senior
Jordan Vessels chipped in 12 points.
UTPB was led by a game-high 28 points from Valerie Barriga as she was 7 of 14 from the field with two t triples and went a game-best 12 of 14 from the line. Loya Giselle and Trish Simpson each added 14 points.
Free throw shooting really hurt the Lady Buffs in the game as they were an uncharacteristic 19 of 30 for the game, but dominated the rebounding to the tune of 42 to 30. WT committed 17 turnovers with 10 in the second half leading to a 22-14 lead for the Falcons in points off turnovers.
The Lady Buffs went 25 of 58 from the field for .431 percent, while going just 4 of 22 from beyond the arc for .182. UTPB went 25 of 55 from the field (.455), 8 of 25 from beyond the arc (.320) and 19 of 26 from the line and 15 of 20 in the second half.
Down 75-73 with 17 seconds left, Watson drove the length of the court as the ball caromed off the front of the rim with Barriga pulling down the rebound and making the two charity tosses to ice the game.
The Lady Buffs held their largest lead of the game at 53-46 with 10:27 left using a 9-2 run since the 14:26 mark. UTPB would not go away, however, as it went on an 11-2 run of its own for a 55-53 lead with 6:56 left.
A hoop-and-harm foul for Vessels gave WT a 56-55 lead with 6:42 left. UTPB regained a four point advantage, but the Lady Buffs came back and tied the game at 65 with 2:18 left. Barringa, the Heartland Conference Newcomer of the Year last season, put the Falcons up for good with a pair of charity tosses with 1:20 left for a 69-68 advantage. Giselle hit her fourth triple of the game in the corner for a 72-68 lead with 41 seconds left.
The Lady Buffs, who honored the 2013-14 national runner-up team prior to the game as the team received their rings from last season. The loss snapped an 18-game home winning streak dating back to the 2012-13 season as it was the first time WT opened the season at home since 2009-2010.
WT will look to rebound at New Mexico Highlands on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT in Las Vegas, N.M., and then will be at Adams State on Saturday, Nov. 22, before returning home to host the 2014 PAK-A-SAK Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 28-29 in the First United Bank Center.
