The UTPB women’s basketball team learned two valuable lessons during its game against Cameron:
>> Playing 25 percent of the game doesn’t lead to victory.
>> Paying close attention to Cameron’s Maighan Hedge is of utmost importance.
Hedge scored a game-high 25 points, including 14 in the second half, to lead the Aggies to a 65-56 comeback victory in Lone Star Conference play Tuesday afternoon at the Falcon Dome.
The game originally been scheduled for December before Cameron was forced to postpone events because of COVID-19 concerns.
Stephanie Peterson added 12 points in the victory. Cameron (2-1 overall, 2-1 in conference) outscored the Falcons 35-21 in the second half.
Nokoia White led UTPB (1-3, 0-3) with 15 points off the bench. Rory Carter added nine in the loss.
Freshman Avalon Munoz finished with six assists.
“Nokoia had her best game so far,” UTPB coach Rae Boothe said. “We are still looking for a rotation and we’re lacking leadership on the court.
“We have to find a group the gels well together and until we do that we just have to work really hard.”
The teams battled throughout the first quarter, but there were signs of the Falcons’ future struggles as they turned the ball over several times and sent the Aggies to the free throw line 11 times in the first 10 minutes.
Boothe was not happy with the effort and quickly got that point across to the players before the second quarter.
“Just trying to get them to play hard,” she said. “That’s the issue with this group, the level of intensity.”
The pep talk seemed to inspire UTPB, which came out much more aggressively in the second quarter and finally caught and passed the Aggies on the scoreboard courtesy of Carter’s 3-pointers from the right corner with 3:52 remaining in the first half.
The Aggies tied the game (26-26) on the following possession, with the Falcons answering with a 7-0 run that led to a 35-30 lead at halftime.
UTPB held Cameron to just nine points in the second quarter, with the Aggies taking just two free throws.
The Falcons’ momentum, however, didn’t carry over into the second half.
Just as the third quarter reached the halfway mark, Cameron regained the lead on a field goal by Whitney Outon for a 40-39 lead.
That sparked a 16-6 run by the Aggies, who finished the third quarter with a 54-45 lead and never looked back.
White did her best to pull the Falcons back into the game with seven points in the fourth quarter, but Hedge answered right back with all 11 points for the Aggies in the quarter to cement the road victory.
“We’ve got to have people rise to the occasion,” Boothe said. “We gave up 18 points on second chances and 16 points at the free throw line.
“But every game we play is learning, so hopefully our key players will rise to the occasion. Every possession matters.”
