ARLINGTON - Big performances from Bre Wickware, Shyia Smith and Emma Halverson helped lead the Lady Mavs to a dominant 74-45 season-opening win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 25), giving Shereka Wright her first win as a head coach.

Wickware finished with a career-high 21 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point range. She also recorded a career-high 10 boards to register her first career double-double.

Shyia Smith, in her first game as a Lady Mav, pulled down six rebounds and dished out four assists and tied her career-high with 17 points. Halverson picked up her first career double-double with a career-high 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Halverson shot 7-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-3 from behind the arc in 18 minutes of action. Katie Ferrell snagged 11 boards and tallied a game-high six assists, while Claire Chastain finished with eight points, five assists and four rebounds. Jordynn Hernandez made her UTA debut and scored six points and handed our three assists.

UTA outrebounded the Lions 56-34 in the win and won the battle in the paint 36-12. The Lady Mavericks also edged out Commerce in bench points 22-11 and recorded 23 assists.

The Lady Mavs struggled in the first half and committed 15 turnovers in the first 20 minutes of the game, but took a 2-point lead (29-27) at the intermission.

The second half was a different story for UTA, as the Lady Mavericks outscored the Lions 45-18 and cruised to the 74-45 win.

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