DENTON — Miki Turner scored a career-high 19 points and banked in the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer as UTSA won it’s second straight conference game Saturday at North Texas, 58-56.
Turner hit all four of her 3-point attempts en route to her career high scoring total. Ashley Spaletta scored 15 of her season-high 17 points from behind the 3-point line as UTSA (11-6, 2-2 C-USA) knocked down a season-high 10 shots from beyond the arc.
Alexis Hyder had a season-high 20 points for North Texas (7-10, 1-3 C-USA).
UTSA opened a 16-7 lead with 12:37 remaining in the first half when Spaletta connected on a 3-pointer from the left wing. Spaletta’s trey followed Turner’s 3-pointer from the top of the circle that beat the shot clock on the prior possession.
The Roadrunners lead continued to build to 27-9 with a jumper from McKenzie Adams followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Turner and a free throw by Niaga Mitchell-Cole.
The Mean Green didn’t register an assisted basket until the 6:33 mark of the first half on a 3-pointer from the right corner by Hannah Christian.
After a pair of free throws by Kamra King gave UTSA a 33-15 edge, North Texas exploded on a 13-2 run to get within single digits, 36-38, with 2:17 left in the half.
Another pair of free throws from King gave UTSA a 38-28 lead at halftime. The Roadrunners finished the opening half 7-of-11 from beyond the arc.
North Texas took control out of the halftime break with a 18-5 run to take a 46-43 lead with 6:56 left on a jumper from Alexis Hyder.
Spaletta connected on her fourth 3-pointer of the afternoon to tie the game, 46-46, and tied it up again on the Birds next possession converting a fast break layup assisted by Turner.
UTSA regained the lead, 52-51, on Mannasha Bell’s with 1:19 left and Spaletta knocked down her season high fifth 3-pointer from the right corner with 37-seconds left to take a 55-51 advantage.
Hyder continued her big afternoon converting a layup from the left block on the Mean Green’s next possession to draw within two, 55-53.
After a UTSA missed free throw North Texas inbounded the ball with 13.3-seconds left and found Laura McCoy for a go-ahead 3-pointer from the left wing with 7.6 seconds.
That set the stage for Turner who took the inbounds pass into the frontcourt and stopped just behind the 3-point arc on the right wing. Turner pivoted to find an open teammate but found all her options covered and pivoted back and launched a shot with just under a second left that ricocheted off the backboard and in and was subsequently mobbed by coaches and teammates in front of the scorer’s table.
UTSA will return to the road Wednesday when it travels to Middle Tennessee for a 7 p.m. tip.