RUSTON, La. – The UT Arlington women's basketball team dropped the opening game of the WAC/CUSA Challenge, falling to Louisiana Tech by a final score of 71-60 on Sunday night inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
 
The Lady Mavs had three double digit scorers led by Koi Love who finished with 14 points. Love fell a rebound short of a double double, finishing with nine rebounds to go along with three assists, three steals and a block in 26 minutes.
 
Avery Brittingham put up 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor to go along with seven rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes of action. Miraya Perkins added 10 points off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Perkins added three rebounds and an assist in 17 minutes to finish off her night. Zoe Nelson finished with nine points, three rebounds, two assists and a block.
 
The Lady Mavs won the opening tip-off and recorded the first score of the game. UTA would go up 6-2 before Louisiana Tech went on a 14-0 run to go up 16-6. The Lady Mavs would end the first quarter on a 6-0 run to cut the Lady Techsters lead down to four, 16-12.
 
The second quarter saw the Lady Mavs go on a 13-1 run to take the lead, 29-23 with 3:42 left in the quarter. UTA would keep the lead in the five-point range for the remainder of the half before a Louisiana Tech buzzer beater cut the Lady Mavs lead down to three, 35-32, to go into the locker room.
 
Coming out of halftime, the two teams would trade a pair of baskets before Louisiana Tech would go on 7-0 run to reclaim the lead, 43-39 at the 6:11 mark in the quarter. It was the Lady Techsters first lead since the 5:45 mark of the second quarter, a lead they would not surrender. The Lady Mavs kept it close for the remainder of the quarter, heading into the fourth down five, 50-45.
 
UTA would cut the lead down to one early in the fourth before a Louisiana Tech 14-2 run would put them up by 11, 62-51. The Lady Mavs managed to trim the deficit down to seven with under a minute left but couldn't get over the hump.
 
NEXT UP
The Lady Mavs stay on the road, as they travel to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. from inside the Bud Walton Arena. 
   
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