Live Stats

Watch Live

Listen Live

Updates on Twitter

Game Notes

OREM, Utah -- The University of Texas-Pan American women's basketball team (9-12, 2-1 GWC) visits the Utah Valley University Wolverines (10-10, 2-1 GWC) in a first place showdown on Thursday at 8:05 p.m. at the UCCU Center.

What You Need to Know

UTPA vs. Utah Valley University: The this is the 15^th meeting all-time between the Broncs and Wolverines in a series that dates back to 2000 … The Broncs have picked up five wins in that time … In six career games, Bianca Torre is averaging 17.3 points, 5.5 assists and 3.2 steals … In three games last season, Donna Jackson averaged 11.0 points and 10.0 rebounds while recording one double-double.
 
UTPA 55, Houston Baptist 41 (1/28/12):

• Trailing 32-27 with 14:06 left, the Broncs scored 17-straight points as part of a 23-2 run that saw them take a 50-45 lead with 6:45 left.
• Donna Jackson recorded his third double-double of the season with 18 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three steals. She was 9-of-17 from the field.
• Johnondra Patterson set career-highs in points (13), rebounds (7), steals (4), field goals made (5), field goals attempted (8), free throws made (3), and free throws attempted (8).
• Erin Lewis recorded a career-high four blocked shots. She had six blocks in her first 51 games with the Broncs, five of which came in 31 games last season.
• Jasmine Gordon made her first start of the season and Adanna Opara made her first start since December 18.

Team Notes

NJIT 41, UTPA 40 (1/21/12):

• The Broncs led or were tied wit NJIT for 37:37 (94%) of the game, but Rayven Johnson hit a lay-up with 7.4 seconds left to give the Highlanders their firs lead since the opening minutes of the game and Donna Jackson missed a floater in the lane as time expired.
• Bianca Torre led the Broncs in scoring with 14 points, hitting four three-pointers to move into second place in career three-pointers made at UTPA with 172, passing Cheveron Terry (169, 1997-2001). Next up is Alex Gravel (1998-2003), who hit 258. Torre also recorded four steals to up her career total to 163, moving into third place and passing Iris Garza (161, 1998-92). Next up is Naima Williams (1999-2003), who had 185.
• The Broncs led by as many as 16 points after a 21-3 run made the score 23-7 with 5:38 left in the first half.
• The Broncs shot 40% (10-for-25) while scoring 28 points in the second half.

 
We're Going Streaking!: The Broncs won four in a row from December 28 through January 19 … The Broncs had last won four in a row January 4 through 16, 2010 … Prior to that, the Broncs' longest winning streak was six games, encompassing the final two games of the 2002-03 season and the first four games of the 2003-04 season … The Broncs also had a six-game winning streak during the non-conference portion of the 1991-92 season … The Broncs won five-straight once, near the beginning of the 1984-85 season, when the second-year program was competing in NAIA Division II (the Broncs moved to NCAA Division I the next season).
 
UTPA 43, Chicago State 39 (1/19/12):

• The 39 points scored by Chicago State are the fewest by a UTPA opponent since they held LeTourneau to 37 points (1/4/10).
• Bianca Torre hit five three-pointers for the second-straight game, scoring a season-high and game-high 21 points to go with three assists and a team-high three steals.
• Adanna Opara and Donna Jackson tied for the team-high with nine rebounds each.
• The Broncs shot 40% (10-for-25) while scoring 28 points in the second half.

 
Historic RPI: The Broncs got into the Top 200 in RPI for what is believed to be the first time in program history on January 15, when the Broncs were ranked #193. Their strength of schedule ranking was #61.
 
UTPA 56, TCU 54 (1/5/12):

• The Broncs picked up their biggest victory of the season by winning at TCU, a team that was ranked 99 spots higher in the RPI (142 to 241) and is joining the Big 12 Conference next year.
• TCU had the highest RPI among all of the opponents the Broncs have defeated this year.
• The Broncs held TCU 0-9 from behind the arc, marking the first time this season the Horned Frogs were held without a three-pointer. The Horned Frogs hadn't been held without a three-pointer since March 20, 2004 in an opening round NCAA Tournament win for #20 TCU over Temple at The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA, a span of 236 games. The Horned Frogs were held 0-for-8 in that game. TCU hadn't been held with a three-pointer at home since before the 2003-04 season.
• Before the Broncs' win, TCU was 153-28 (.845) in 181 home games since the start of the 2000-01 season.
• It was the Broncs' first ever win against the Horned Frogs, improving to 1-6.
• Bianca Torre came off the bench for the second-time this season, breaking a streak of 12 consecutive starts, and responded by hitting five three-pointers and leading all scorers with 18 points. The 5-for-6 performance raised her career three-point percentage to .3512931, passing Bobbie Cole (.35125448, 1993-97) for fourth place in UTPA history by .00003862.
• Erin Lewis took Torre's spot in the starting lineup for the second time this season (the first was 11/25/11 against McNeese State) and dished out a game-high seven assists while tying for the game-high and her season-high with seven rebounds. The first assist broke a tie with Cheveron Terry (241, 1997-01) for fourth place in UTPA history. Lewis now has 248 assists.
• Franchesca Simon hit her first attempt from behind the arc, giving her, at the time, seven makes in eight attempts.

 
High RPI: The Broncs were ranked #241 in the first RPI of the season, which came out on January 3. It was the Broncs' highest ranking since Denny Downing took over as head coach and is believed to be at least among the highest rankings the Broncs have ever achieved. The Broncs also have the highest RPI among Great West Conference teams. The Broncs have played the 81st toughest schedule in the nation (out of 342) with opponents holding an average RPI of 164.
 
UTPA 73, Our Lady of the Lake 66 (1/2/12):

• Keandra Goodson hauled in a career-high 15 rebounds (six offensive) for the second-straight game as part of her second double-double. Goodson scored 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting, dished out a career-high two assists and picked up a steal as well in a career-high tying 31 minutes of action.
• Franchesca Simon reached double-figures for the second-straight game, scoring 12 points while hitting 2-of-3 shots from behind the arc. She has now his six of her last seven attempts from behind the arc and nine of her last 15 total shots from the field.
• Donna Jackson scored 14 points, marking the 10^th time she has reached double-figures in scoring.
• Bianca Torre dished out four assists to pass Kelly Garrett (292, 1993-97) for second place on the all-time UTPA list in assists with 924. She also attempted five shots to move into a tie with Becky Dube (1984-86) for fifth place in field goals attempted.
• Erin Lewis dished out three assists to move into a tie for fourth place with Cheveron Terry (1997-01) with 241.
• The Broncs led 10-0 after 2:06, 19-4 after 4:31 and 21-6 after 5:20.

UTPA 72, UT-Arlington 65 (OT) (12/28/11):

• Franchesca Simon scored a career-high 19 points to go with a career-high eight rebounds (four offensive) while matching her career-highs in field goals made (6), three-pointers made (4), free throws made (3) and minutes (35). She also tied her season-highs in field goals attempted (10) and free throws attempted (4).
• Donna Jackson recorded her second double-double of the season with a season-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds and four steals. She matched her season-high in free throws made (7) and career-high in free throws attempted (10).
• Kenadra Goodson recorded a career-high 15 rebounds (10 offensive), to go with nine points and a career-high two steals.
• Bianca Torre recorded three steals to up her career total to 153, passing MaHogany Daniel (152, 2003-07) for fourth place all-time.

 
UTSA 68, UTPA 54 (12/21/11):

• In her second-career start, Keandra Goodson recorded her first-career double-double with 14 points, and a career-high and game-high 10 rebounds in a career-high 31 minutes of action.
• LaQuita Garner scored a team-high 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including three three-pointers.
• Ashley Watson scored two points and recorded her first block of the season in a season-high eight minutes.
• Cassandra Moody recorded a career-high four rebounds.

 
Jackson Honored: Senior forward Donna Jackson earned UTSA Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in two games. She hit 8-of-16 (50%) shots from the field and 9-of-14 (64.3%) from the foul line.
 
Colorado 67, UTPA 49 (12/20/11):

• Bianca Torre scored nine points to move into a tie for fourth place on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,060 points. She is now tied with Cheveron Terry (1997-01). Torre also passed Dawn Bleacher (1,057, 1992-94) for fifth place during the game.
• Donna Jackson scored a game-high and season-high 16 points to go with five rebounds and a career-high six steals.
• Keandra Goodson made her first start of the season, scoring four points with four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in a career-high 30 minutes.

Oklahoma State 74, UTPA 35 (12/18/11):

• Bianca Torre scored a season-high 20 points, tied her career-high with six three-pointers made, and set new season-highs in three-pointers attempted (10) and field goals made (7).
• Torre took over sixth place on the program's all-time field goals made list with 332, breaking a tie with former-teammate Aleeya Grigsby (2006-10).
• Cassandra Moody scored six points, tied her career-high in field goals made (3), set a new career-high in field goals attempted (8).

UTPA 94, Huston-Tillotson 51 (12/14/11):

• The 94 points are tied for the fourth-highest scoring total in program history and the most the Broncs have scored since scoring 97 against Texas Lutheran on November 20, 2008.
• It is the 12^th time the Broncs have ever broken the 90-point plateau and the second time against Huston-Tillotson.
• The Broncs scored more points during the second half (55) than the Rams did in the entire game (51).
• The Broncs had a season-high five players in double-figures scoring: LaQuita Garner (16), Keandra Goodson (16), Adanna Opara (15), Donna Jackson (15) and Franchesca Simon (10).
• Keandra Goodson set new career-highs in points (16), rebounds (9), field goals made (5), field goals attempted (8), free throws made (6), free throws attempted (6) and assists (1). She also tied her career-high with 29 minutes played.
• Edinburg-native and freshman guard Laura Torres scored her first-career points on a basket with less than five minutes left.
• Harlingen-native and junior guard Bianca Torre hit two tie former-teammate Aleeya Grigsby (2006-10) for sixth place on the all-time UTPA list with 325 made field goals.
• Freshman guard TaQuiyyah Boyles collected a career-high three rebounds.

Historic Scoring Binge: When the Broncs scored 94 points against Huston-Tillotson on December 14, they tied the fourth-highest scoring total in program history. Here's where that game ranks among the Broncs' top scoring games:
1. 110 vs. Schreiner (11/21/06)
2. 108 vs. Southwestern Louisiana (1992-93)
3. 97 vs. Texas Lutheran (11/20/08)
T-4. 94 vs. Huston-Tillotson (12/14/11) and vs. Incarnate Word (1986-87)
6. 93 Schreiner (2001-02)
T-7. 92 vs. Schreiner (12/20/05) and vs. UT-Permian Basin (12/16/04)
T-9. 91 vs. Schreiner (12/1/07) and Huston-Tillotson (1984-85)
T-11. 90 vs. Troy State (1999-2000) and Mary Hardin-Baylor (1984-85)
 
Stephen F. Austin 69, UTPA 58 (12/10/11):

• Junior guard Bianca Torre scored a season-high 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc, to go with a game-high four assists.
• LaQuita Garner scored a team-high tying 15 points.
• The Broncs trailed 33-12 after 15 minutes, but closed to within 35-31 after an 18-2 run over a span of less than four minutes.

 
UTPA 69, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 52 (12/7/11):

• The Broncs swept the season series for the first time in the 13-season history of the rivalry.
• The Broncs are now 4-2 against the Islanders in the three seasons since Denny Downing became head coach.
• Donna Jackson scored a season-high and tied for the game-high with 14 points to go with a game-high eight rebounds.
• Bianca Torre tied her season-highs with 13 points and seven assists to go with five rebounds and a game-high tying three steals.
• LaQuita Garner scored a game-high tying 14 points with a game-high tying three steals.
• Erin Lewis dished out a season-high eight assists.
• Senior Ashley Watson saw her first action of the season, grabbing one rebound in two minutes off the bench.

 
Nebraska 65, UTPA 27 (12/4/11):

• The Broncs led 2-0 and were within 5-4 in the opening minutes.
• Donna Jackson recorded a season and game-high five steals.
• Erin Lewis tied her season-high and tied for the game-high with seven rebounds.
• Johnondra Patterson returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the previous three games. Patterson started the first five games of the season.

On Any Given Day: Although the Broncs fell to the Nebraska Cornhuskers 65-27 on December 4, the Broncs do have a win in Lincoln in program history. Alex Gravel hit six three-pointers and the Broncs hit all 14 of their free throw attempts to beat the Cornhuskers 61-58 on January 5, 2003. The 2002-03 Broncs finished with a record of 7-21 and were 0-11 entering the contest in Lincoln. The Broncs' head coach that season was Tracy Anderson, who only coached the team that year. The Huskers were coached by Connie Yori, then her first season, who is still the head coach today. The Broncs are now 1-2 all-time against the Huskers.

Homecoming: When the Broncs played Nebraska on December 4, it was a homecoming for assistant coach LaToya Howell, who played for Nebraska during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons after transferring from Air Force Academy. As a senior, she dished out the eighth most assists in a single-season ever by a Husker and the third most by a senior with 159. She also helped the Huskers to the Quarterfinals of the WNIT for the first time in school history. Howell averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.3 steals in three WNIT games. She hit a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to seal a first round win over Drake and hit two free throws with 1:33 left to put the Huskers up 67-65 over Wyoming in the second round.
 
Sam Houston State University 64, UTPA 56 (11/29/11):

• Adanna Opara recorded her fist double-double of the season and the second of her career with a season-high 16 points and a season-high 12 rebounds (nine offensive). Opara hit 4-of-7 shots from the field and 8-of-9 from the line.
• LaQuita Garner became the first Bronc to score 20 points this season, hitting 5-of-12 shots, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc to go with a 6-for-6 performance from the line.
• The Broncs led 30-29 at halftime.

UTPA 58, TAMUCC 56 (11/29/11):

• Adanna Opara scored with two seconds left to give the Broncs the victory.
• The win broke a four-game losing streak.
• It was the Broncs' first road win of the season.
• The Broncs had four players in double-figures scoring for the first time this season
• Adanna Opara led the team in scoring for the first time this season with a season-high 15 points and a season-high nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
• Bianca Torre tied her season-highs with 13 points and four rebounds to go with four assists and a game-high five steals.
• Donna Jackson recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
• LaQuita Garner scored 10 points with a season-high five assists, three steals and one block.
• Broncs head coach Denny Downing took over second place on the all-time program wins list with 27, breaking a tie with John McDowell (1983-86). DeAnn Craft (2003-09) is the all-time leader with 70.

 
Yale 59, UTPA 57 (11/26/11):

• The Broncs had leads of 48-47 and 50-49 late in the game after trailing for most of the second half.
• The Broncs outscored the Bulldogs 32-28 in the second half.
• The Broncs outshot the Bulldogs 41.9% (13-for-31) to 29.2% (7-for-24) in the second half.
• Donna Jackson led the Broncs in scoring for the second-straight game with a season-high 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting, plus 5-of-9 from the line, to go with seven rebounds.
• Bianca Torre scored 11 points with a season-high and game-high seven assists.
• Cassandra Moody hit her only basket of the game at the halftime buzzer to bring the Broncs within 31-25.

McNeese State 67, UTPA 46 (11/25/11):

• The Broncs led 2-0 and were within 12-11 nearly mid-way through the first half, but the Cowgirls outscored the Broncs 17-5 over the rest of the half to take a 29-16 lead.
• Donna Jackson became the first Bronc other than LaQuita Garner to lead the team in scoring this season, finishing with 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Garner scored seven points while hitting 2-of-3 shots.
• After hitting 6-of-21 shots (28.6%) in the first half, the Broncs hit 11-of-24 (45.8%) in the second half.
• The Broncs recorded five blocked shots for the second time this season (three by Adanna Opara and two by Cassandra Moody). The Broncs are averaging 5.2 blocks per game.

 
UTEP 62, UTPA 51 (11/22/11):

• After being down by as many as 18, the Broncs went on an 11-2 run towards the end of the game to pull within 10 in the final minute.
• LaQuita Garner led the Broncs in scoring for the fourth-straight game, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting. She also hit the Broncs' lone three-pointer of the night.
• Adanna Opara became the fourth different Bronc to reach double-figures in scoring during a game this season by scoring 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting. Garner has done it in all four games while Bianca Torre and Donna Jackson have done it twice each.

That's Classic: The Broncs played in their first of two Classics this season when they faced McNeese State and Yale in the Houston Classic on the campus of the University of Houston on November 25 and 26. The Broncs will play Colorado and UT-San Antonio at the UTSA Classic on December 20 and 21.
 
Texas State 66, UTPA 61 (11/18/11):

• The Broncs led 46-38 with 12:03 remaining, tied for their largest lead of the game.
• LaQuita Garner hit 4-of-8 shots from behind the arc while scoring a team-high 19 points. She also had a game-high two blocked shots.
• Donna Jackson and Erin Lewis each recorded a team-high seven rebounds and a game-high two steals. Jackson added 12 points while Lewis dished out seven assists.
• The Broncs made one more field goal that the Bobcats (24-to-23) and the same number of three-pointers (seven).

 
Next Up: The Broncs visit the University of North Dakota on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Torrid Torre and Friends