The UTPB women’s basketball team got off to a rough start in its first home game of the 2021 season, falling 63-61 against St. Edward’s Thursday at the Falcon Dome.
Both teams came in to the nonconference contest in different situations as UTPB looked to end a six-game skid while St. Edward’s wanted to add to a five-game winning streak.
UTPB head coach Rae Boothe said it felt good to return to the structure and routine of playing at home.
“It’s not the outcome we wanted for our fans, but I will say that they gave us a boost,” Boothe said. “That’s what we want, any time you play at home to be part of the energy and I think they did that for us.”
In the first half, UTPB was getting its most efficient offensive looks when Alexus Wykoff was under the basket.
When the Falcons trailed 14-6 in the first quarter, two layups from Wykoff highlighted an 8-0 scoring run that UTPB used to tie the game at 14-14.
St. Edward’s was able to pull away with timely 3-point shots from Matilda Soric and Haley Blankinship.
The Hilltoppers stayed in control in the second quarter with two shots from beyond the arc from Blankinship, but the Falcons were able to cut things close with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Morgan Helgesen to end the first half.
Wykoff led the Falcons with 12 points at the intermission, while the Hilltoppers had five players with four or more points scored.
It looked like UTPB was taking advantage of the momentum it generated late in the first half, with a 3-pointer from Avalon Munoz giving the Falcons a 35-33 lead to start the third period.
That wouldn’t last long, as the Hilltoppers went on a 16-0 scoring run to jump back in front and build a commanding lead.
With St. Edward’s holding a nine-point lead to start the game’s final period, Alexus Quaadman started making an impact for the Falcons on both ends of the floor.
She scored five straight points and came away with a late steal to cut the deficit to two points.
Boothe believed Wykoff and Quaadman got good looks consistently through the game, but she wants to see more scoring from the players on the perimeter.
The Hilltoppers were up by one point with 19 seconds left in regulation and Lauren Catherman sank two free throws to put St. Edward’s up 61-58.
Sammie Dufek converted two more attempts from the line to put St. Edward’s up for good, despite another late 3-pointer from Helgesen.
The Falcons (1-8 overall) continue nonconference play against St. Mary’s at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Falcon Dome.
Boothe said the loss against St. Edward’s will be a good learning experience for her players for their next matchup with the Hilltoppers.
“I think we have so much to learn from this game and I think it’s going to be magnified because of the outcome,” she said. “We were so close, one possession, but it will help us and it’ll serve us well when we go to St. Edward’s.”
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St. Edward’s 63, UTPB 61
St. Edward’s (6-2)
McCall Hampton 3-8 0-0 7, Sammie Dufek 0-3 2-2 2, Morgan Gary 2-5 0-2 4, Taylor Cockerill 2-5 3-4 7, Laurn Catherman 6-9 4-4 18, Isabel Langenberg 3-10 0-0 7, Bella Muscoreil 2-2 0-1 4, Ronnie Cantu 0-2 0-0 0, Haley Blankinship 2-14 2-2 8, Matilda Soric 2-5 0-0 6. Totals 22-63 11-15 63.
UTPB (1-8)
Morgan Helgesen 3-7 0-0 9, Alexus Wykoff 6-13 6-7 18, Avalon Munoz 7-13 5-6 20, Holly Hemmeline 3-11 0-0 7, Ally Haman 0-5 0-0 0, Alexus Quaadman 3-7 1-1 7, Kine Diop 0-2 0-0 0, Diavian Spencer 0-2 0-0 0, Rory Carter 0-5 0-0 0, Lauren Stallworth 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-65 12-14 61.
St. Edward’s — 17-16-18-12—63
UTPB — 14-18-9-20—61
3-Point goals — St. Edward’s 8-31 (Hampton 1-5, Gary 0-1, Cockerill 0-1, Catherman 2-5, Langenberg 1-5, Blankinship 2-9, Soric 2-5), UTPB 5-19 (Helgesen 3-5, Munoz 1-2, Hemmeline 1-7, Haman 0-1, Diop 0-1, Spencer 0-1, Carter 0-2). Total fouls — UTPB 20, St. Edward’s 16. Fouled out — UTPB (Spencer). Technical fouls — None. Rebounds — UTPB 46 (Munoz 8), St. Edward’s 42 (Dufek 10). Assists — UTPB 6 (Munoz 2), St. Edward’s 9 (Cockerill 4).
