The Southern Utah University women’s basketball team lost to the University of Texas at Arlington by a score of 78-70 on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The Thunderbirds fell behind early and were unable to overcome the exhaustive deficit.
First quarter
It was an unimaginably rough start for SUU, who shot just 3/15 from the floor and tallied eight points. Southern Utah’s first made basket wasn’t until five minutes into the period. On top of that, the Thunderbirds had six turnovers, and the Mavericks scored nine points off the forced errors.
In the last four minutes, UT Arlington outscored SUU 11-2, finishing with a 24-8 lead. The Mavericks shot 47% from the floor and assisted three of the nine made baskets.
Second quarter
UT Arlingtons’ Gia Adams started hot by hitting two three-pointers in a row, pushing the lead to 21. She scored 12 total points in the period.
Southern Utah continued to struggle from the floor, going 7/19. The Thunderbirds converted two three-pointers, one of which came from wide-open freshman Charli Kay, to bring the lead back down to 15. The Mavericks ended the first half on a quick 5-0 run, capped off by a three-pointer from Adams.
Third quarter
Both teams had a great shooting quarter: SUU went 9/14 from the floor, and the Mavericks hit 10 of their 20 attempts. The Thunderbirds were unable to make up any ground in the third, turning the ball over five times and allowing four offensive rebounds.
The Mavericks used those miscues to their advantage, leading 65-47 headed into the fourth.
Fourth quarter
The Thunderbirds kept fighting, cutting the lead down to 13 after a deep three-pointer from Samantha Johnston. Maverick Masengo Mutanda immediately took away the momentum by converting an and-one layup.
The stout defensive effort from SUU allowed them to get back into the game, holding UTA to just 4/19 from the floor.
Southern Utah senior guard Daylani Ballena gave it her all, putting up 11 points. Her last bucket of the game cut the Mavericks’ lead to six with 19 seconds remaining. From there, Masengo drilled two free throws and took the win.
SUU head coach Tracy Mason said, “We talked about stuff that we had been practicing the last two days. We weren’t executing it, and honestly, I think that’s why we shot the ball so much better in the second half. We took advantage of how they were defending us.”
Big game for Banks
SUU center Ashley Banks had 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Since moving into the starting lineup, she has been a force, averaging 7.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 56% shooting in nine games.
Banks talked about what has helped her step up in the absence of teammate Megan Smith, saying, “Leaning on Meg, asking [her] questions, has been a huge thing, and then getting confidence from the coaches.”
Key Maverick statistics
— Adams poured in a team-high 20 points on 8/15 shooting, adding four rebounds and five assists.
— Avery Brittingham had 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
— UTA’s bench tallied 29 points compared to SUU’s nine.
Key Thunderbird statistics
— Ballena ended the night with 21 points and three assists, hitting eight of her 16 shot attempts.
— Johnston had 11 points on 4/10 shooting and tallied six assists, five rebounds and three blocks.
— The Thunderbirds shot 36.8% from the three-point line, converting at a higher rate than their season-average 29.3%.
What’s next?
Southern Utah will hit the road to take on two Texas foes. The Thunderbirds will first face off with Abilene Christian University on Feb. 29 at 5 p.m. SUU will then head an hour and a half east to Stephenville, where they will match up with Tarleton State University on Saturday, March 2, at 1 p.m. Both matchups can be viewed through ESPN+.
Author: Brig Pyfer
Photographer: Anden Garfield
Editor: Anden Garfield
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