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For
Immediate Release: January 21, 2002 EDINBURG,
TX-The University of Texas-Pan American women’s basketball team just
couldn’t get over the hump in their game against Lipscomb Monday
night. The Lady
Broncs erased more than half of an 18-point deficit, and put themselves
in position to continue their charge. But the Lady Bison scored eight
consecutive points after the final media timeout of the game and held
on for a 68-56 victory at the UTPA Fieldhouse. UTPA trailed
at halftime, 29-22, and was outscored, 23-12 after halftime as Lipscomb
took a 52-34 lead with 8:57 remaining. Junior guard
Michelle Smith (Vancouver, BC/Heritage Park HS) ignited the comeback
with a layup and a free throw, then senior forward Kelli Kreuser
(Bettendorf, IA/North Davenport HS/Truman State) hit a three-pointer,
and junior center Julie Porter made a pair of layups and added a free
throw, and the Lady Broncs had shaved the deficit to seven points in
just over three minutes. A layup by
junior forward Naima Williams (Houston, TX/Clear Brook HS) once again
brought UTPA within seven points (56-49) with 4:21 remaining. The final
media timeout of the game came 22 seconds later. After the timeout,
Courtney Boynton of the Lady Bison connected on a three-pointer, and
Kendra Ramsey hit a jump shots and a free throw, and Monica Blake added
a layup and Lipscomb was in command with a 64-49 lead with 50 seconds
remaining. “Defensively,
we didn’t recognize the shooters at that point,” said UTPA Head
Coach Karin Nicholls. “They came out and hit a three and that hurt
us.” UTPA made
44.7 per cent of their shots from the field, to Lipscomb’s 35.7 per
cent, and each team had 37 rebounds. But the Lady Broncs committed 38
turnovers to 20 for the Lady Bison. “We just
aren’t able to put back to back games together, and that’s because
we’re not consistent, either offensively or defensively,” said
Nicholls. “We let this game slip away, and I really feel that we’re
a better team than we showed tonight. We have to learn to play more
consistently.” Kreuser led
UTPA with 13 points, and Williams added 12. Porter grabbed nine
rebounds, Kreuser added eight rebounds and five assists, while Williams
had four steals. Boynton had 12
points to lead Lipscomb, while Ramsey and Lindsay Daly added 10 apiece. With the
defeat, the Lady Broncs fell to 5-16, while Lipscomb improved to 7-12.
UTPA will return to action when they visit Rhode Island Saturday
afternoon at 4:00 p.m. WBBLIPSCOMB1012102 |