LADY
BRONCS DEFEAT IPFW, 75-72
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240
FORT WAYNE, IN -The University of Texas-Pan-American's women's basketball
team outscored host Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, 15-2 midway through the
second half, took a 60-58 lead, and held on for a 75-72 victory over
the Mastodons at the Gates Sports Center Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Broncs, who trailed, 42-35 at halftime, were behind, 56-45
with 13:17 remaining when they began their decisive run. Senior forward
Mary DeCock (Lamberton, MN/Red Rock Central HS/Northeast CC), who ignited
the run with a three-pointer, added a jumper and another trey. Junior
guards Dawnne Cheadle (Roswell, NM/Roswell HS/Seminole State College)
and Jennifer Piwonka (Louise, TX/Louise HS) each contributed a jumper,
and when DeCock connected on her third three-pointer of the run, Texas-Pan
American had a 60-58 lead with 9:21 remaining.
The teams battled back and forth, and although IPFW never led again,
they tied the game for the final time at 71-all on a pair of free throws
by Verea Bibbs with 55 seconds remaining. Senior guard Amanda Carlow
(Pine Ridge, SD/Rapid City CHS/Northeast CC) gave the Lady Broncs the
lead for good at 73-71 when she hit a layup with 38 seconds remaining.
Bibbs then drew a foul and hit one of two free throws, and Carlow was
fouled and made two free throws with 11 seconds left to account for
the final score.
Carlow led all scorers with 19 points, making six of nine shots from
the field. She added four steals and three assists while playing all
40 minutes, Cheadle made seven of 12 shots from the field for a career-high
17 points. DeCock added 13 points, while junior center Molly Schamel
(Hector, NY/Watkins Glen HS/Yavapai College) added 10.
Bibbs led the Mastodons with 17 points, Maggie Bruening had 12, and
Amy Gearlds and Geneva Murdock had 10 points each. Freshman forward
Kristi Dudley (Cedar Hill, TX/Cedar Hill HS) had eight rebounds for
Texas-Pan American, and the Lady Broncs committed a season-low 12 turnovers
and outscored IPFW in the second half, 40-30.
"It was a seven-point ballgame at halftime (42-35 IPFW), and we
challenged our defense a little bit," said UTPA Head Coach DeAnn
Craft. "We went on a run, and in three minutes we went from being
down 11 to being up by two. Mary hit three big threes for us, and then
it was nip and tuck from that point on. Amanda's basket in the final
minute was huge. She played a tremendous game, and Dawnne Cheadle had
her best game of the year. They are a talented offensive team, they
only lost by 15 points to Wisconsin, and I thought we really stepped
it up in the second half and did what we had to do on the road to win.
That stretch in the second half was probably our best six minutes of
the year."
The Lady Broncs won their second game in a row and improved to 9-12,
while the Mastodons fell to 7-13. Texas-Pan American will return home
to play Northern Colorado Tuesday evening.
WBB-36-04013104
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