ARLINGTON — Tamara Simmons scored a game-high 19 points and UT Arlington snapped UTSA’s five-game winning streak with a 56-55 victory on Wednesday night at Texas Hall.
Senior Amber Gregg led the Roadrunners (9-11, 5-2 SLC) with 14 points while senior Ashleigh Franklin and junior Ashley Gardner also reached double figures with 12 and 10, respectively. Meanwhile, sophomore Lyndi Thorman just missed out on a double-double with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
The UTSA post players took the ball to the basket in the early going, as the Roadrunners’ first 12 points all came in the paint. Franklin opened the game with back-to-back buckets, while Thorman added three from down low.
Despite the hot early start, the Roadrunners faced a 17-12 deficit after the Mavericks went on an 11-2 run midway through the half.
UTSA answered with five consecutive points to tie the score and that set up a back-and-forth battle.
Neither team led by more than four points the rest of the stanza and an inside basket by senior Kameisha Johnson in the final minute helped give UTSA a 28-26 lead at the half.
Of the Roadrunners’ 28 points, 24 came in the paint and UTSA benefitted from nine offensive rebounds that led to 11 points.
Neither team could separate itself from the other in the first eight minutes of the second half.
UT Arlington took advantage of its opportunities at the free throw line and hit four freebies during an 8-0 run to grab a 43-40 lead with nine minutes to play.
The lead grew to five on a 3-pointer by Kiara Parker at the 3:07 mark before the Roadrunners began their charge.
Gardner connected on back-to-back jumpers to cut the lead to one before another basket by Parker. A pair of Gardner free throws cut the deficit to one with one minute left, but UTSA was unable to get a defensive stop and a pair of Simmons’ free throws made it 56-53, setting the stage for a wild finish.
Franklin drove the lane and converted to again make it a one-point game. After a turnover, the Roadrunners had a chance to take the lead with 10 seconds to play, but Gregg’s jumper fell short.
UTSA was forced to foul twice in the final 10 seconds and still had a chance to win after a pair of missed free throws by Parker and Briana Walker. Gregg’s running jumper in the lane was no good at the buzzer, giving the Mavericks the one-point win.
Both teams clamped down defensively in the second half. The Birds finished the game shooting 37.5 percent from the field while holding UT Arlington to 36.7 percent.
The Roadrunners will be back in action on Saturday when they visit Beaumont for a televised, 7 p.m. game at Lamar (17-4, 6-1 SLC).
