Box Score

CHICAGO, Illinois – The fourth-seeded University of Texas-Pan American Broncs women's basketball team jumped out to a 13-2 lead and led for most of the game in a 57-51 victory over the defending Great West Conference Tournament champion, host and fifth-seeded Chicago State University Cougars on Thursday at Jones Convocation Center in the GWC quarterfinals.
 
The Broncs (13-16) advance to the semifinals, where they will face top-seeded North Dakota on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
 
The Cougars (6-24) scored the opening points of the game on a lay-up by Jackie Jones, but a Johnondra Patterson layup sparked a 13-0 run that was capped by a Keandra Goodson basket at the 14:16 mark.
 
The Cougars responded with an 11-4 run to pull within 17-13 on a three-pointer by Tierra Williams four and a half minutes later, but the Broncs scored the next 10 points, including a pair of baskets by Adanna Opara, to take a 27-13 lead with 5:16 remaining.
 
The Broncs took their largest lead of the game at 47-27 on a basket by Goodson mid-way through the second half, but the Cougars responded with a 24-5 run to pull within 52-51 on a pair of Paris Williams free throws with 49 seconds left. The Broncs scored the final five points of the game to advance the semifinals.
 
The Broncs were led by Goodson and Opara, who each recorded double-doubles. Goodson scored a career-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds. Opara scored 11 points with 12 rebounds.
 
The Cougars were led by Jones, who scored 17 points, and Natalie Marlowe, who scored 14 points.
 
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.