ARLINGTON, Texas – The Lady Mavs (9-13, 3-7 WAC) returned to the College Park Center with a thrilling double overtime victory over Utah Tech (6-15, 1-10 WAC) on Alumni night.
UTA was led by Kira Reynolds, who powered the Mavericks with her seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds, while Jadyn Atchison added 16 points and Nya Threatt chipped in 13. Alexsyah Goudeau finished with 11 points, and Amiyah Reynolds contributed 10, as UTA's depth showed up in a big way with 42 bench points in the double-overtime victory.
"We had a balanced attack tonight, and every player stepped up and did what we asked them to do," said coach Wright.
Utah Tech came out sharp and controlled the opening 10 minutes, taking a 20-17 lead after one. The Trailblazers built a seven-point lead, but the Lady Mavs stayed within striking distance by crashing the boards.
The Lady Mavs turned up the heat in the second quarter, outscoring Utah Tech 16-9, taking a 33-29 lead going into the halftime break. UTA tightened up defensively and leaned into pressure, winning the turnover battle and dominating in the paint 20-10.
In the first half, the Lady Mavs were sharing the ball. Jadyn Atchinson led UTA with seven points, Erin Sellers, Alexsyah Goudeau, and Laura Bello added four points. Bello led on the glass with five rebounds at the break. The third quarter turned into a back-and-forth battle, and the Trailblazers outscored UTA 23-20.
The final 10 minutes were tight from start to finish, with neither side able to create separation as the game swung back and forth. UT Arlington leaned on its inside attack and late execution to stay level, answering Utah Tech baskets and trading leads down the stretch. With the score tied at 65-65 after regulation, the Mavericks forced overtime after a defensive stand in the closing seconds.
UT Arlington and Utah Tech traded punches through the two extra sessions, but the Lady Mavericks found another gear in double overtime to pull away for an 84-78 win. After regulation ended tied and the teams stayed locked at 74-74 after the first overtime, UTA tightened up defensively and made its biggest plays late, turning stops into points, living at the free-throw line (17-26 FT), and finishing the night with a dominant interior presence (50 points in the paint) to close the game on top.
NOTEWORTHY
- Kira Reynolds recorded her seventh double-double of the season.
- The double-overtime victory was the first game of the season that extended outside of regulation.
- UTA's 84 points marked a season high.
NEXT UP
UT Arlington returns to the College Park Center on Saturday, Feb. 7, for its Play 4 Kay Breast Cancer Awareness game against Utah Valley at 1 p.m. CT.
– #BuckEm –
