For Immediate Release: Monday, November 25, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

LADY BRONCS FALL TO UTA, 67-38

EDINBURG, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American women's basketball team made a first half comeback against visiting Texas-Arlington in their opening game of the 2002-2003 season at the UTPA Fieldhouse Monday night.

However, the Lady Broncs had dug themselves too deep a hole. After outscoring UTA, 17-4 to climb within six points of the visiting Lady Mavericks late in the first half, Texas-Pan American was outscored, 12-2 in the final 3:47 of the first half, trailed at halftime, 33-17, and fell, 67-38.

A layup by sophomore forward Jennifer Arriola (Rio Rico, AZ/Rio Rico HS) represented the only points for the Lady Broncs during the first five minutes of the game. However, UT Pan American came back, using a jump shot by senior guard Michelle Smith (Vancouver, BC/Heritage Park HS), four consecutive jumpers by sophomore guard Jennifer Piwonka (Louise, TX/Louise HS), and a three-pointer by junior guard Mary DeCock (Lamberton, MN/Red Rock Central HS/Northeast CC) to cut the Lady Mavs' lead to just six points at 21-15. Then Rola Ogunoye hit a pair of jumpers, Temeckia Brown made four free throws and Krystal Buchanan made a layup at the buzzer to give UTA a 16-point advantage at the intermission.

Piwonka led the Lady Broncs with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Senior forward Naima Williams (Houston, TX/Clear Brook HS) grabbed eight rebounds, but UTPA made just 17 of 52 shots from the field and committed 30 turnovers, resulting in 29 UTA points. Ogunoye had 14 points for the Lady Mavs, Latoya Lewis added 12 and Chronda Reagan had 11 as Texas-Arlington connected on 26 of 59 shots from the field, including seven of 16 from three-point range.

"We can't afford to start the game down, 17-2," said UTPA Interim Head Coach Tracy Anderson. "We just relied too much on our outside shooting, and didn't do a good enough job of getting the ball inside and attacking them in the paint. We didn't play well defensively at the start of the game. We went over twelve minutes in the middle part of the first half and only allowed seven points, and we got it down to six. But then they went on a roll, and we were down 16 at halftime. It's hard to win when you have 30 turnovers, and when you give up turnovers that lead to layups, it makes it hard to defend."

The Lady Broncs dropped to 0-1 with the defeat, while UTA improved to 1-1. UTPA hosts Angelo State Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. "Angelo State is feisty, they are good fundamentally, and they shoot the ball well," said Anderson. "We'll have to play well against them."

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