ARLINGTON, Texas --- Shyia Smith's layup with 16 seconds left proved to be the game-winning basket as the UT Arlington women's basketball team (2-0) persevered to a 75-72 win over Texas A&M - Commerce inside the College Park Center (CPC) on Saturday.
 
"I'm so proud of this team. They were very resilient and stayed together. They responded when their number was called. We had a lot of contributions from everybody on this roster. That's what I'm most proud of," UT Arlington head coach Shereka Wright said. "We have a lot of new faces, but I'm so proud of the growth that this group has shown. We will continue to build on this. It's always about taking steps, and I thought our team did that tonight."
 
Trailing by six with 7:27 remaining, the Lady Mavs closed the game on a 21-12 run. A 3-pointer from Jireh Washington sparked momentum at the start of the run, and De'Sha Benjamin's long distance bucket with 3:32 left tied the game at 64 apiece. Interestingly, those were the first and only two 3-pointers of the game for UTA.
 
Following that, a free throw from Kamaria Gipson, followed by a steal and fast break layup from Nya Threatt pushed the lead to three, but the visiting Lions chipped away and re-took the lead, 72-71, with 36 seconds left.
 
Out of a timeout, Smith took a pass from Benjamin, turned and filled it up down low through four defenders. After a defensive stop, a pair of free throws from Washington pushed the lead back up to three with a few seconds left. Texas A&M - Commerce had an open look with a chance to tie, but the Lady Mavs got the rebound with 0.9 seconds left. After a timeout from each team, UTA inbounded the ball and ran out the clock.
 
"I thought she made a hell of a play," Wright said of Smith's game-winner. "She went up there and got it. To be able to go up, focus and finish it was big."
 
Washington finished with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and a team-best three steals. Smith finished second in points with 14 while adding six rebounds and three assists. Gipson notched her first double-double as a Lady Mav with 13 points, 12 rebounds and a game-high four blocks. Benjamin (12) also scored in double figures along with her five rebounds and three assists.
 
Four others also scored, led by Kayla White, who had eight points and a pair of rebounds. A trio of true freshmen - Threatt, Alexsyah Goodeau and Taleyah Jones - played 32 minutes and combined for a +7 plus-minus. Goodeau had two points and a pair of rebounds while Jones had two points and two steals, including a key one following a change of possession late in the fourth quarter.
 
NOTES
Saturday's win was the second game of a Homecoming tripleheader. At halftime of the men's basketball game, the Lady Mavs received their NCAA Tournament rings from last year's championship season.
 
UT Arlington improved to 12-2 all-time against Texas A&M - Commerce with wins in 12 straight dating back to 1975. The only two losses in the series came in 1973 and 1974, and the Lady Mavs are 7-0 all-time at home against the Lions.
 
Gipson made her first start of the season after transferring in from San Diego State.

NEXT UP
The Lady Mavs will travel to Lawrence, Kan. to face Kansas on Wednesday before closing out the week against Oklahoma on Sunday in the Maggie Dixon Classic that is being hosted at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth.
 
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