ARLINGTON, Texas – The UT Arlington women's basketball team (4-8, 0-2 WAC) ends 2023 in style with a huge win over New Mexico State (6-7, 0-0 CUSA) by a final score of 61-60 inside the College Park Center on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Lady Mavs win streak has reached three games which matches their longest winning streak from a season ago, which they accomplished on three separate occasions. Also, the win is the first home victory for UTA this season.
Taliyah Clark led the charge for the Lady Mavs, dropping 18 points on 6-of-13 from the field along with one rebound and three steals in 34 minutes of action. The three steals tie her season high. It's her third game in double-figures in the past four contests and her seventh overall in 12 games.
Avery Brittingham finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 from the field, while securing five rebounds and dishing out seven assists. She also tied her career high in blocks with three, the sixth time in her career she's finished with that many. The seven assists are a season high for Brittingham, and the most she's had in a UTA uniform. This is the 12th straight game she has finished with double digits in scoring.
Adela Valkova chipped in with 10 points and tied her career high with seven rebounds. She also had one assist and one steal. It was her third-consecutive game in double-figures.
New Mexico State scored the first bucket of the game to take a 2-0 lead, their only lead of the first quarter, before UTA would go on an 8-0 run to give the Lady Mavs a six-point lead, their largest lead of the game. The Aggies would tie the game twice in the first quarter before the Lady Mavs took a one-point lead in the second.
In the second quarter, UTA would go through a nearly four-and-a-half minute scoring drought before a
Nya Threatt layup broke the dry spell. During that time, the Aggies would go on to take the lead and headed into the locker room up by four, 35-31.
Staunch defense was played throughout the third quarter by both teams, resulting in the lowest scoring quarter.
The Lady Mavs entered the fourth down by two and found themselves down by as many as four points before Brittingham made two free throws to tie the game up at 52 apiece with 4:23 left in the game. A Valkova made free throw with 2:44 left would put the Lady Mavs up by one, a lead they would not surrender.
Clark would go on to make four straight free throws in the final 20 seconds, effectively winning the game for the Lady Mavs.
NEXT UP
The Lady Mavs return to WAC play when they welcome Tarleton to the CPC, their second of a three-game homestand, on Thursday, January 4. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. central.
– #BuckEm –
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