| Sophomore Whitney York scored a team-high 25 points on Saturday. |
HUNTSVILLE — Sophomore Whitney York netted a team-high 25 points, but Sam Houston State’s Brittany Brooks logged in a game-high 29 points to lead the Bearkats past UTSA 73-72 in double overtime in Southland Conference action Saturday afternoon at Johnson Coliseum.
The Roadrunners dropped to 14-11 overall and 8-4 in conference play, while Sam Houston State, who snapped a 17-game losing against the Roadrunners, improved to 8-16 on the season and 5-7 in league play.
York’s, who grew up in Bryan, 25 points came on 10-of-20 shooting from the floor on 50 minutes of action. Junior Ashleigh Franklin posted her eighth double-double of the season with a 20-20 game (22 points/22 rebounds) – 17 coming off the defensive end. Freshman Judy Jones also added her fifth double-double on the year scoring 16 and hauled in a dozen boards.
UTSA set single-game record for a conference game with 62 rebounds on the day.
Ray Alexander and Chanice Smith joined Brooks in double-figures with 14 points and 12 points, respectively.
Sam Houston State began the second overtime with an 8-1 run highlighted by a pair of treys to make it a 67-60 ball game with 3:42 to go. UTSA mounted a late rally to cut the deficit to one-point (69-68) on Jones’ layup with 1:25 left, but the Bearkats ice the game with free throws down the stretch.
Brooks opened the extra period with a jumper to give SHSU a 55-53, but UTSA responded with a Franklin three-ball and a York layup to take a 58-55 lead with 3:08 to go. Brooks knocked down two freebies and then Whitney Smith came up with a steal and converted a short jumper to put Sam Houston State up 59-58 with 36 seconds. Jones sent the game to double overtime with her made free throw.
UTSA upped its margin to 30-19 within the first four minutes of the frame. The Roadrunners maintained their lead to as many as nine points when Franklin was good on a baseline layup with 11:06 to play. Sam Houston State went on a 13-1 run over the next five minutes and change left for the two-point (43-41) lead. Smith capped off the spurt with a pair of 3-pointers.
The Bearkats and Runners traded baskets over the next several minutes, until Franklin put UTSA up 53-51 with a driving layup that went around the rim until it fell in with 47 seconds remaining. After a Sam Houston State timeout, Brooks got the inbounds pass and connected on the layup to tie the contest 23 seconds later. York had a chance to win the game, but her attempt rimmed out as the game clock expired.
Sam Houston State jumped to the 6-2 lead early in the first half, but UTSA then scored the next seven straight points for the 9-6 advantage with 13:29 left in the frame. Jones paced the early offensive scoring with six of the nine points.
The Roadrunners pushed their lead to 22-15 with a 14-9 run over the next seven minutes of the stanza. York led the way with nine of the 13 points netted during that stretch.
UTSA travels to Northwestern State for a conference matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Tip off is schedule for 7 p.m.