BOX SCORE
EDINBURG, Texas – The University of Texas-Pan American women's basketball team dropped their first home game of the 2010-11 season in a 71-62 defeat to Great West Conference rival Utah valley University Thursday night at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
The Broncs (9-15, 1-5) scored the first four points of the game over the first two minutes. The Wolverines (3-18, 1-5) responded with a 7-0 run, capped off by a three-pointer by Abbie Beutler to take a 7-4 lead with 17:03 remaining in th half.
The Broncs tied the game at 11 with 14:14 to play in the half after an Adanna Opara lay-up. UVU answered back with a pair of threes and led by six at 17-11 with just under 13 minutes to play in the half. The Wolverines kept the Broncs off the lead for most of the first half until the 2:35 mark as Ce”Monay Newell hit a three to re-claim the lead for UTPA at 30-28.The Wolverines scored the final five points of the half to lead 33-30 at the intermission.
UTPA scored the first four points of the second half to re-claim the lead at 34-33. Utah Valley got the lead back by hitting UTPA with a 13-2 run, including five points from Jenna Johnson as UVU took a ten-point advantage 46-36.
Kaycee Mansfield hit a three with 13:59 remaining and increased the UVI lead to 14 at 52-38. UTPA began to chip away with a 10-2 run, Adanna Opara's free throw pulled the Broncs within six at 54-48. Newell was an offensive juggernaut for UTPA in the second half and pulled UTPA back within five at 67-72 with 49 seconds remaining as she hit her eighth three-pointer of the game. That would be the last basket of the game before UTPA fell by the nine point margin. .
Newell hit eight treys on the night and scored a game-high 28 points with five rebounds in the loss for UTPA. Adanna Opara was the only other double-digit scorer for UTPA as she poured in 14 with seven rebounds. Donna Jackson scored nine with 11 rebounds. The Broncs shot just 37% from the field for the game. Bianca Torre, the Broncs leading scorer, was held to just six points on 2-9 shooting.
Sammie Jensen led four Wolverine double-figure scored with 21 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Johnson chipped in with 19 points, while Kim Bell added 14 points and six boards. The Wolverines shot 45% (9/20) from beyond-the-arc for the game.
The Broncs continue Great West Conference play on Saturday night when they host Chicago State at 5:30 PM.
