| Senior Onika Anderson scored a game-high 18 points on Saturday. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Seniors Monica Gibbs and Ryba Pawlaczyk posted double-doubles and senior Onika Anderson added a game-high 18 points to pace UTSA past Lamar, 69-68, in Southland Conference action Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
Gibbs recorded her second straight double-double and 32nd of her career with 12 points and a dozen rebounds, while Pawlaczyk held game-high honors with 14 boards to along with 13 points. Sophomore Jordan Stark added 14 points on the day.
The Roadrunners (12-7, 5-1 SLC) posted a 46-39 rebounding advantage, including 17 on the offensive end, and that led to 20 second-chance points.
The Lady Cardinals (13-7, 4-3 SLC) were led by Brittany Williams’ 19 points.
Lamar opened the second half with a 21-10 run over the first seven minutes, which closed the gap the four points (48-44). Anderson and Pawlaczyk connected on back-to-back buckets to give UTSA an eight-point lead with 12:40 left, but a Trashanna Smith free throw trimmed the lead to 55-50 two minutes later.
The Lady Cardinals outscored the Roadrunners 16-11 over the next nine minutes and tied the game at 66 with 1:56 showing on the clock. Gibbs’ freebies with 1:01 remaining broke the tie, but Ang Green connected on a pair of free throws to knot the contest at 68. Gibbs was good on a foul shot with 17 ticks left to put the Birds back out in front. Hill then missed a would-be game winner from the top of key as time expired and UTSA won its second game in a row.
Pawlaczyk scored seven of the Roadrunners' first 14 points, giving them a 10-point lead eight minutes into the contest. However, the Lady Cardinals used an 8-3 run to cut the deficit to five. UTSA then countered with three straight jumpers from downtown by junior Alysse Davis, sophomore Amber Gregg and Stark to extend the lead back to double digits with under six minutes to play and the Roadrunners went into the locker room with a 36-23 advantage.
UTSA is back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 4, when it travels to Huntsville to face Sam Houston State. Tip off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.