March 6, 2006
Contact: Carlos Valdez III. (210) 458-4930
UTSA advances to SLC Championship game with 76-75, triple-overtime win at Texas-Arlington
Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas – The UTSA women’s basketball team overcame a 16-0 deficit to start the game, rallying for a 76-75, triple-overtime win at Texas-Arlington Wednesday night at Texas Hall in the semifinal round of the O’Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Tournament. The Roadrunners (18-11) now advance to the tournament championship game for the second time in school history.
Junior Vivian Ewalefo (right) led three UTSA players in double figures with 19 points. Senior Lacy Mingee and sophomore Terrie Davis added 17 and 12 points, respectively, while freshman guard Monica Gibbs collected a team-high 13 rebounds, dished out a career-high nine assists and nearly recorded her first triple-double with nine points.
UTA (20-9) posted four players in double digits with Ashley Bobb and Terra Wallace leading the way with 19 points. Bobb also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds.
Texas-Arlington started the game on a 16-0 run over the first 6:57. Abanobi and Bobb combined for nine points during the run. A Gibbs free throw ended a the scoring drought and put UTSA on the board, 16-1.
The Roadrunners then cut the Mavs lead to 20-13 at the 7:47 mark of the first half with a 13-4 run. Ewalefo scored six of the 13 points.
The Roadrunners pulled within 25-20 on a lay-up by freshman Destiny Brown with 1:53 left in the half, but a 3-pointer from the top of the key by Wallace gave UTA a 28-22 halftime lead.
UTA pushed its lead to 35-25 courtesy of a 5-3 run with 15:55 left in the second half behind five points apiece from Abanobi and Candice Champion. The Runners managed to pull within five points on Ewalefo’s free throw at the 13:57 mark.
With 9:07 remaining, Tojjinay Thompson’s lay-up upped the Mavericks lead to eight points at 40-32. However, the Roadrunners mounted an 11-2 run to take their first lead of the game, 43-42, on Gibbs’ driving layup with 2:48 to play.
Back-to-back baskets by Bobb gave UTA a three-point lead with 1:19 remaining. Gibbs cut it back to one with a lay-up, but a free throw by Champion pushed it back to 47-45 with 40 seconds left. Freshman Farren Fox knotted the game at 47-all with a short jumper sent the game to overtime.
In the first overtime, Ewalefo’s 12-footer gave UTSA a 49-47 lead with 4:15 left. UTA regained the lead when Bobb made good on a 3-point basket with 3:31 to go in overtime. Fox responded with a 3-point basket of her own giving UTSA the 52-50 edge. UTA answered with a three of its own by Abanobi to make the score 53-52 with 2:57 remaining. With one minute left in the ball game, Wallace’s fade away jumper gave the Mavs a 55-53 lead, but UTSA’s Mingee counter with turnaround jumper to tie the game at 55-all with 18 ticks left. Wallace’s jumper fell short as time expired.
The second overtime saw four lead changes and two ties. Davis (left) began the second OT with a 3-pointer. Bobb answered with a three of her own and tied the game at 58-58 at the 4:08 mark. The Runners pushed their lead to 62-59 with back-to-back buckets by Mingee. A jumper by Wallace gave UTA a 63-62 lead with 2:14 to go. The Roadrunners retook the lead, 65-63, on senior Katie Sandefur’s trey from the right side at the 1:15 mark. UTA’s Wallace tied the game on a lay-up sending the game to triple overtime.
In the third overtime both teams combined for three ties and two lead changes. Ewalefo nailed a pair of free throw to give UTSA a 67-65 edge, but Abanobi tied the game at 67-all with two free throws. The Mavericks took their first lead, 70-69, when Jamie Buxkemper made 1-of-2 free throws. This would be the only time UTA led in the third OT.
Davis’s 3-pointer gave UTSA a 72-70 lead with 2:03 left, then Wallace’s put-back basket tied the game at the 1:06 mark. Davis’ second trey gave UTSA a three-point lead and a Mingee free throw extended the lead 76-72 with 45 ticks left. Wallace drained a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 76-75.
UTSA now heads to Nacogdoches, Texas, for a rubber match against No. 1-seed Stephen F. Austin this Saturday, March 11, in the O’Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Tournament Championship at William R. Johnson Coliseum. Tip is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will be televised live on Fox Sports Southwest.