Old habits are hard to shake and the UTPB women’s basketball team was an example of that Thursday against UT Tyler.
The Falcons started the game looking to generate most of their scoring from the 3-point line, a tactic that didn’t help them in a 81-53 loss in Lone Star Conference play at the Falcon Dome.
In its four most recent victories, UTPB gained control and confidence when its post players were able to dominate under the basket.
They couldn’t get that going for much of the first half, as UT Tyler quickly set up a 2-3 zone to shut down scoring options in the paint.
Any time the Falcons had an open shooter down low, the Patriots sent a double team to force their opponent to look toward the outside.
The game plan was considerably effective in the second quarter when the Falcons converted 21% of their shot attempts from the field.
It took UTPB most of the period to find a good look, enduring a scoring drought that lasted until there was 1:54 left until the halftime break.
Montse Gutierrez was UT Tyler’s most active player on both ends of the floor through the first half, recording 15 points to go with four rebounds and two steals.
The Patriots created stronger scoring chances through the third quarter and quickly saw their lead swell to 20 points.
UTPB couldn’t spread the defense out to put its post players in comfortable spots and struggled to kick up the tempo through the second half.
Rory Carter and Morgan Helgesen provided consistent effort through the contest for the Falcons and showed their impact on defense by getting timely steals.
By the fourth quarter, the Patriots seemed to wear out UTPB’s defenders with its motion offense.
Multiple players maintained constant movement, which gave them more chances to convert from long range.
The Patriots finished the contest hitting 38% of their 3-point shots, led by Destini Whitehead’s 18 points.
Helgesen paced the Falcons with 14 points scored.
UTPB saw its two-game winning streak come to an end after defeating Oklahoma Christian and Arkansas-Fort Smith last week.
The Falcons (8-19 overall, 4-11 conference) close out their regular season against No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Falcon Dome.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
