WBB: Mavericks suffer loss in overtime to UTPA
12/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2011
Arlington, Texas - 
UT Arlington at UTPA (December 28, 2011) Photo Gallery
The UT Arlington women's basketball team spent nine days away from competition and opened up Wednesday night's game against UT Pan American ready to go but couldn't hold on in overtime falling 72-65 at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
UT Arlington fell to 1-8 on the year with the setback while UTPA improved to 5-11.
After spending the first part of the season watching from the bench due to ineligibility, sophomore Rosalyn Thorpe has made an immediate impact in her first three games played.
Thorpe kept the Mavericks in the game scoring eight of the Mavericks first 11 points in the early minutes of the first half. The sophomore finished the game with a season and game high 20 points. She also added six rebounds and four blocks.
Turnovers were a consistent problem for UT Arlington, committing 17 total including three in overtime.
After a 12-2 run by the Mavericks and leading by two at one point, the Broncs managed to head into the locker rooms with a 29-28 advantage. Thorpe led the Mavericks with 10 points in the first half.
UT Arlington opened the second half similar to the first with a back and forth contest with the Broncs. Junior Sabreena DeNure tied the game for the fifth time at 34-34 following a layup with 16:54 left to play.
The Broncs went on to lead by eight (42-34), their largest lead of the game at the 15:03 mark but UTA climbed their way back to lead by one following a 3-pointer by Chauntandra Williams.
It was a fight till the end of regulation as both teams went back and forth tying the game five more times until finally heading into overtime at 59-59.
The Mavericks couldn't carry the momentum from the second half into overtime as the Broncs turned it up a notch and went on to record the win.
Bianca Sauls turned in a good performance scoring a season-high 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
UTPA's leading scorer LaQuita Garner had a quiet night scoring only eight points but came up big in overtime with a 3-pointer at the 2:53 mark. Donna Jackson stepped in leading the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The Mavericks return to Texas Hall on Saturday, December 31 for a match up against Houston Baptist at 1 p.m.
