Box Score

EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs women's basketball team is now assured of the winningest season in program history after improving to 15-11 with a 54-53 victory over the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders on Monday at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
 
The Broncs also improved to 11-2 at home, breaking the program record for home wins in a season.
 
The Broncs trailed by two with the shot clock off, when sophomore Shawnte' Goff hit a bank shot and drew a foul. The basket tied the game, and the free throw gave the Broncs the lead with 20.6 seconds left.
 
Alyssa Albanese then drove to the basket for the Highlanders (10-16), but missed the layup. Goff grabbed the rebound and passed to junior Rickell Preston who eluded a foul while driving to the basket. Although she missed the layup, by the time Martin Matejcikova got the rebound for the Highlanders, there wasn't enough time left for a last second shot.
 
Goff scored 25 points on 8-of-20 shooting, including 2-of-6 from behind the arc, plus 7-of-7 from the line with six rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals. Senior Brittany Bush scored 20 points on 10-of-20 shooting with nine rebounds and two steals.
 
Senior T'Ondria Nolen also had a strong all-around game, dishing out seven assists with six rebounds, one block and three steals. Nolen now has 109 assists this season, the seventh highest single-season total in program history. After entering the game with the 10^th highest total with 102 assists, Nolen passed Alexis Williams (105, 2000-01), Monique Cook (107, 1990-91) and Bianca Torre (108, 2010-11). Next up is Kim Stewart, who had 111 assists in 1993-94.
 
Albanese led the Highlanders with 18 points on 9-of-20 shooting to go with seven rebounds and three steals.
 
Matejcikova hit a jumper and a three as the Highlanders jumped out to a 9-2 lead. The Broncs, however, hit six of their next 12 shots while holding the Highlanders 0-for-5 and forcing them into five turnovers to go on a 14-0 run. Bush had eight points during the run while Goff had six.
 
The Highlanders scored the next eight points as part of a 12-2 run to go up 21-18 on an Albanese jumper, but Goff and Bush hit back-to-back baskets to put the Broncs up 22-21.
 
After an Albanese jumper gave the Highlanders the lead at halftime, Kim Tullis scored the first four points of the second half to make it 27-22. Goff responded with a three, and then senior Tonisha Walker converted a four-point play to put the Broncs up 29-27.
 
The Highlanders followed with a 9-2 run to go up 36-31, but Bush hit a layup and freshman Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir buried a three to tie the game.
 
The Highlanders pushed their lead back out to six at 48-42 on an Albanese jumper, but the Broncs responded with a 9-0 run, capped by a Kjartansdóttir jumper to take a three-point lead with 2:55 left.
 
Alana Dudley tied the game with a three 43 seconds later, and then Albanese put the Highlanders ahead with 47 seconds left, setting up Goff's game-winning three-point play.
 
The Broncs resume Western Athletic Conference play on Thursday at 7 p.m. when they host Grand Canyon at the UTPA Fieldhouse. With a win, the Broncs can tie the program record for conference wins in a season (eight). Doors open at 6.

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