Women's Basketball

BRONCS ELIMINATED FROM GWC TOURNEY WITH LOSS TO UVU

Courtesy of UTPA Athletics Media Relations

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OREM, Utah- The fifth seeded Texas-Pan American women's basketball team fell behind early and never led in an 81-65 loss to the fourth seeded Utah Valley University in the quarterfinals of the Great West Conference tournament at the UCCU Center Wednesday night. The loss ends the 2010-11 season for the Broncs. Utah Valley (8-20) advances to the semifinals to play top-seeded Chicago State in the semifinals.

UTPA (12-19) missed their first seven shot attempts and fell behind 13-2 in the first five minutes of the game. UVU's Jenna Johnson;s three-pointer capped off the early run. Later in the half Bianca Torre, who was named to the GWC All-Conference first team on Monday, knocked in a three-pointer from the right wing to pull the Broncs within five at 17-12 with 11:29 remaining in the half.

Utah Valley responded with a 15-4 run with Johnson's lay-up at the 7:26 mark pushing the Utah Valley lead to 16 at 32-16. The Broncs trailed at halftime 41-26 after shooting just 32% in the first 20 minutes. Utah Valley shot 57% in the opening period.

“We just weren't aggressive early and it cost us,” UTPA Head Coach Denny Downing said. “We only got to the foul line six times in the game, and they shot 57% percent on their home floor.” “We just did not play with a lot of energy on defense in this one.”

The second half was more of the same for UTPA. Sammie Jensen's lay-up with 17:47 to play in regulation pushed the UVU lead to 23, their largest of the game, at 50-27. The Broncs closed to within 14 on Donna Jackon's three-point play with 3:09 to play. The Broncs scored just four points the rest of the way in the 16-point defeat.

Torre led UTPA with 17 points, and a team high seven assists and five steals. Donna Jackson registered her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and a team high 11 boards. Maria Ben Erlingsdottir finished with 13 points and four rebounds in her final collegiate game. Ce'Monay Newell pushed her season total for three-pointers to 108, as she hit a pair of treys and finished with 10 points in the loss for UTPA.

Jensen put in game highs for points and rebounds with 24 and 15 respectively to lead the charge for UVU. Kim Bell added 19 points and 10 boards for the UVU double-double. Abbie Beutler dished out a game-high 13 assists and put in 12 points to chip in for the Wolverines.

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