FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State held off multiple second-half runs from UT Arlington to top the Lady Mavericks 70-61 on Friday night at the Save Mart Center.
 
Down double digits at halftime, UTA rallied back within one before another run pulled Fresno State away to start the fourth. The Lady Mavericks did it once again, but then the shots would go cold as UTA went scoreless for more than six minutes to fall to 2-2 on the season. Fresno State improved to 3-1 in avenging last season's Black Friday loss to UTA at College Park Center.
 
Freshman Claire Chastain joined senior Cierra Johnson and junior Aysia Evans in double figures for the visitors. Chastain was 5-of-10 from the field on the way to 14 points, while Cierra Johnson finished with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists. Evans scored late to finish with 11
 
Freshman Katie Ferrell, the Sun Belt leader in both assists and steals per game, maintained the mark with six assists and three steals on Friday night, adding two blocks and nine rebounds.
 
UTA, opening a five-game road trip, continues its California swing with a Sunday matchup with San Francisco at 4 p.m. CT.

QUOTABLE
UTA coach Krista Gerlich... 
"Our kids kept playing hard and trying to get back in it to give themselves a chance. I felt like we didn't come out ready from the time and they through the first punch and we weren't able to respond. We can't give up 24 points in the first quarter and we kind of ran out of gas trying to come back multiple times. It is the first road trip and Fresno State played super hard and really shared the ball and we seemed to be chasing them a little bit."

On what to take from tonight's game...
"We just talked about every possession being important. They have to learn how to get a stop and we had several crucial possessions where we didn't get pay back for and made some uncharacteristic turnovers. I don't think it was just being freshmen and a young team, but was a lack of experience in the situation period and we have to be prepared for that."

On bouncing back against San Francisco with a quick turnaround...
"It will be tough. It is their coaches second year and I have a lot of respect for her. They do a lot of things offensively that are hard to prepare for, especially with just two days. We will have to be on our game and mentally prepared. I expect it to be a dog fight just like this one was and we are just going to have to be mentally tough."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
With both teams finding their shots early, it was a difference of handling the pressure in the opening 10 minutes. The Lady Mavericks relied on the smooth shooting of Ferrell and Terryn Milton, who connected on both of their opening two shots in the first. However, a 7-0 run that was sparked by the game's first 3-pointer saw UTA turn the ball over on two trips down the floor to help the run. Brooke Alexander knocked down UTA's first trey of the day to end the run, but a late rally saw Fresno State take a 24-16 lead into the second.
 
The momentum stayed on the Bulldogs side early in the second with a 3-pointer connecting to open up the frame. A quick turnover sent Fresno State right back down the floor for an easy lay in with just 30 seconds played.
 
UTA's defense clamped down to calm the hot shooting of the Bulldogs, holding FSU without a point for more than three minutes, while Claire Chastain's 3-pointer pulled UTA within seven with under six in the half. Chastain's 3-pointer would be the last for a period of more than three minutes from the field, with Fresno State expanding its lead to 13 points.
 
The Lady Mavs kept the half under double digits going into the break after holding Fresno State without a field goal for the final three minutes of the second quarter, and came out firing to start the third. Lauren Billie got a quick layup, following by a pair at the line by Johnson as the Bulldogs called an early timeout with back-to-back possessions with a turnover in the first minutes of the second half.
 
With UTA nipping at the Bulldogs heels after cutting it down to one, Fresno State would match blows with the Lady Mavs with three from long range falling, while Alexander's second trey of the day was the lone answer from the visitors as the lead went back to eight for the host. FSU took an 11-point lead to the final 10 minutes after a 6-0 run in the final two minutes.
 
It was a steel party to start the fourth for UTA, Milton grabbed a pair, while Billie took another and UTA was quickly within four points with under eight to play, forcing a Bulldog timeout.
 
The momentum seemed all in favor of UTA as the matchup went into the final five minutes and UTA down by just a point, but the shots would not fall for the Lady Mavs. Fresno State held UTA without a point for more than six minutes, and without a field goal for more than six and a half minutes to hold off UTA.

NOTABLE
Fresno State leads the all-time series 4-1... The loss was just UTA's third in the month of November in the last three seasons... The five-game road trip is the longest in nonconference under coach Krista Gerlich... Johnson has been in double figures in the last three games. She has 960 career points. With two assists, she moved into sole possession of sixth in UTA history with 252... Chastain had her second double-figure game, she has led UTA in scoring in both... Fresno State shot 45.7 percent to UTA's 43.4. FSU hit nine 3-pointers compared to UTA's five... UTA turned the ball over a season-high 19 times.