· Box score
· Louisiana Tech/Stephen F. Austin box score
| Junior Ashleigh Franklin collects team-leading sixth double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win against Maine. |
SAN ANTONIO — Junior Ashleigh Franklin posted her team-leading sixth double-double of the season with a career-high 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the UTSA women’s basketball team past Maine, 79-71, Tuesday night in day one action of the UTSA New Year’s Classic at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners improved to 6-5 on the year, while the Black Bears dropped to 2-8 overall.
Franklin, who netted 16 of her 18 points in the first half, was 6-of-10 from floor to go along with three 3-pointers and a career-high six assists. Junior Kameisha Johnson registered a personnel-best 16 points on a 4-of-5 shooting night from downtown.
Junior Amber Gregg and sophomore Whitney York chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively. York collected nine of her 13 points from the free throw going a near perfect 9-of-10.
Kristin Baker held game-high honors with a career-high 22 points, while Samantha Wheeler logged in a double-double with 15 and 12 boards.
Jasmine Rush opened the second half with five straight points to get Maine within eight points (44-36). Gregg and Johnson knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Roadrunners lead to 13-points (53-40) at the 16-minute mark. Corinne Wellington answered with six straight points that made it a single digit contest (53-46) with 14:30 left.
Gregg and sophomore Shantel Nwanguma highlighted a 14-5 run with nine points combined that gave the Roadrunners their lead largest of the game at 16-points (67-51) over the next seven minutes.
Maine mounted one last rally scoring 17 of the next 22 points to make it a 72-68 game with 1:14 remaining. York’s lay up and free throws gave UTSA an eight-point cushion 34 seconds later and help preserve the nine point win.
UTSA jumped to the early 18-10 lead with the help of Johnson, who scored 10 of the first 18 points with 13:30 to go in the first half. Katia Bratishko’s three-point play and Baker’s three-ball tied it at 26-all with under seven minutes remaining in the frame.
Franklin sparked an 18-5 run over the final 6:55 of the half, with nine of the 18 points scored that gave the Runners a 44-31 cushion at intermission.
UTSA returns to action tomorrow night against Louisiana Tech on the final day of the UTSA New Year’s Classic.