Box Score

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Senior forward Adanna Opara recorded her first double-double of the season for the University of Texas-Pan American Broncs women's basketball in a 64-56 loss to the Sam Houston State University Bearkats on Thursday at Johnson Coliseum.
 
Opara scored a season-high 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 shooting from the foul line with a season-high 12 rebounds (nine offensive). LaQuita Garner led the Broncs in scoring with 20 points, the most by any Bronc this season, on 5-of-12 shooting, including a 4-for-8 performance from behind the arc in addition to going 6-for-6 from the line.
 
With the game tied at 5-5 in the opening minutes, the Bearkats (3-2) went on a 9-2 run to go ahead 14-7 on a fastbreak lay-up by Sequeena Thomas. The Broncs (2-6), however, used four points from Opara and five points from Garner to power a 9-0 run as they pulled within 16-14. After Jasmine Johnson hit a pair of free throws to extend the Bearkats' lead to four, Donna Jackson hit a lay-up and Garner nailed a three-pointer to give the Broncs their first lead of the game at 19-18 with 10:39 remaining.
 
The Bearkats took the lead back and led 25-22 before Bianca Torre connected from behind the arc to tie the game with 4:18 to go in the first half. The Broncs regained their three-point lead with Opara converted a three-point play to make it 30-27 with 1:41 remaining.
 
The Bearkats scored the final basket of the first half and 12 of the first 14 points of the second half to go up 39-32, but the Broncs climbed back within 43-40 on a pair of free throws by Keandra Goodson with less than 13 minutes remaining. The Bearkats responded with a 13-5 run to go up by 11.
 
Torre hit a three-pointer and Jackson sunk a lay-up with 3:18 to go bring the Broncs within 56-50, but that's as close as they got.
 
The Bearkats were led by Britni Martin, who scored a game-high 23 points. Thomas scored 22 points with eight rebounds and three steals. Angela Beadle recorded 11 rebounds and five blocks while Khamra Echols dished out 11 assists to go with four steals.
 
The Broncs are back in action on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. when they visit the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who, in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll, received 55 votes, the second most of any unranked team.
 
The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics competes at the NCAA Division I classification. UTPA, formerly known as Pan American College and Pan American University, is a part of the University of Texas System of Schools. The Broncs compete in 14 varsity sports; men's and women's basketball, golf, tennis, track and field, and cross country, along with women's volleyball and men's baseball. In 1963, then known as Pan American College, the Broncs men's basketball program won the NAIA National Championship with a 73-62 victory over Western Carolina. In 2008 UTPA joined the new all-sports division of the Great West Conference.