With 10 minutes to play, the UTPB women’s basketball team’s season was hanging in the balance.
With five minutes to go, the Falcons were back on solid ground and had regained control of their playoff destiny.
Alexus Quaadman scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead UTPB to a 67-63 victory against UT Tyler in Lone Star Conference play Thursday at the Falcon Dome.
Avalon Munoz added 17 points and five assists, with Holly Hemmeline finished with 12 points as the Falcons improved to 12-14 overall, 9-11 in conference.
UTPB is tied with St. Edward’s and Eastern New Mexico for seventh in the overall conference standings with nine victories.
The top eight teams will make the Lone Star Conference tournament in two weeks.
“I think our team is really resilient,” UTPB head coach Rae Booth said. “They knew what was on the line.
“Avalon did a good job in the fourth quarter and we got the ball inside to Alexus. And we had them in foul trouble early in the fourth quarter; we were in the bonus with five minutes to go and I really think that was a big factor.”
Martina Machalova scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Patriots (21-5, 16-3), the conference’s second-ranked team behind Texas Woman’s.
Lovisa Hevinder added 12 points in the loss.
The teams battled through the first 25 minutes before UT Tyler broke things open with a 12-2 run to take a 45-35 lead with 2:24 to play in the third quarter.
The Falcons responded with a quick run at the end of the quarter and trailed, 47-40, heading into the final eight minutes.
UTPB continued to claw its way back in the game and when Hemmeline hit a desperation, shot-clock-about-to-hit-zero 3-pointer from the left wing, the Falcons moved in front, 51-49, with 6:41 remaining to play.
They never trailed again.
UTPB returns to the court when it hosts Texas Woman’s at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Falcon Dome.
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
