Dec. 31, 2003

EDINBURG, TEXAS-The University of Texas-Pan American's women's basketball team used double doubles to create double trouble for Prairie View A&M in their women's basketball game at the UTPA Fieldhouse Wednesday evening.

Guard Jennifer Piwonka (Jr. /Louise, TX/Louise HS), center Molly Schamel (Jr. /Hector, NY/Watkins Glen HS/Yavapai College) and forward Mary DeCock (Sr./Lamberton, MN/Red Rock Central HS/Northeast CC) each had double doubles as Texas-Pan American defeated the Lady Panthers, 64-52.

Piwonka had 17 points and a career-high 11 assists for UTPA. Schamel added 10 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, and DeCock had 10 points and a career-best 13 boards to lead the Lady Broncs to the victory.

Texas-Pan American took an early 15-6 lead with 11:57 to go in the first half, but Prairie View used a 6-0 run to cut UTPA's advantage to 15-12 just a little over two minutes later. DeCock and Dawnne Cheadle (Jr./Roswell, N.M./Roswell, N.M./Seminole State College) hit jump shots in the last 35 seconds of the half to make it 28-21, UTPA at the intermission.

The Lady Broncs did not allow PVAMU to get closer than five points in the second half. Prairie View got within seven points at 54-47 with 2:53 to go. Texas-Pan American responded, getting a free throw and a three-pointer by Cheadle and a lay-up by Piwonka to stretch their lead to 60-47 with 1:28 remaining.

"It was great to get three double doubles, and I thought that was Jennifer Piwonka's best game, by far," said UTPA Head Coach DeAnn Craft. "Molly did a good job on the boards, and Mary always does whatever needs to be done whenever we need her to do it. Prairie View played a very scrappy style and fought very hard, and I thought we matched their intensity and handled their pressure. It was a good win for us, and a good game to lead in to our road trip."

The Lady Broncs will return to action when they begin a six-game road trip Friday, January 2 at Texas-Arlington. They will not play at home again until Saturday, January 24th when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.