Box Score

EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs women's basketball team improved to 13-10 to break the record for best 23-game start in program history with a 66-57 victory over the Chicago State University Cougars on Saturday at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
 
If the Broncs win their next game on Thursday at 9 p.m. at Bakersfield, they will tie the program record for wins in a season with 14, a mark that has been reached three times previously (2013-14, 2008-09 and 2004-05).
 
The Broncs are now 6-2 in conference play, marking the second time in program history and first time since 2009-10 the Broncs have had such a strong start to conference play. The Broncs can improve to 7-2 in conference play for the first time in program history on Thursday.
 
Additionally, the Broncs are now 10-2 at home, tying the program record for home wins, a mark previously reached in 2008-09 (10-3) and 2007-08 (10-6). The Broncs have three home games remaining to break the record, with the next one coming on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. against NJIT.
 
Senior Brittany Bush led the Broncs with her second double-double of the season and eighth of her career, scoring a career-high 20 points on 9-of-20 shooting with a season-high 16 rebounds (eight offensive). Sophomore Shawnte' Goff scored 14 points with four steals. Senior Cha'zaye Wright scored 10 points while going 3-for-4 from behind the arc.
 
Paris Williams led the Cougars (3-18, 1-7 WAC) with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, plus 6-of-6 from the line, with two blocks and three steals. Layne Murphy scored 16 points with 15 rebounds and four assists.
 
Goff hit a pair of threes and Bush made a pair of layups as the Broncs scored the first seven points of the game while jumping out to leads of 11-2 and 14-4.
 
The Cougars pulled to within six twice, including at 16-10 with 9:14 remaining in the first half on a pair of Williams free throws.
 
The Cougars were within seven at 24-17 after a Williams layup four minutes later, but freshman Stephanie Onyeje made a three, Bush hit a layup and then Wright sunk a free throw to give the Broncs their largest lead of the half at 30-17.
 
The Broncs' lead was cut to eight in the final minute of the half, but senior Tonisha Walker hit a three and Goff hit a jumper right before the buzzer. Then, at the start, of the second half, junior Rickell Preston made a layup to give the Broncs their largest lead of the game at 40-25.
 
The Cougars climbed to within eight twice after that, including at 57-49 on a Murphy layup, but no closer.

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