Box Score
HOUSTON – Sophomore guard Joselyn Pugh set a career-high with 14 points and tied her career mark with nine rebounds, but it was not enough as the HBU women's basketball team lost a thriller to visiting Utah Valley, 79-75, Saturday evening at Sharp Gym.
Megan Green led HBU (2-20, 0-7 GWC) with 17 points as she tied her career high of four 3-pointers. Pugh tallied 14 and her nine rebounds were a team high. Tia Jackson scored 12 points and Destini Texada totaled 10. Jackson's six assists were one short of her career high of seven she set versus UMKC in November. The Huskies shot 57 percent from the floor in the first half but just 37 percent in the second.
Sammie Jensen recorded a double-double of 23 points and 15 rebounds for Utah Valley (4-18, 2-5 GWC). Jenna Johnson scored 17 and Abbie Beutler added 16. Beutler, who came into the contest second in the Great West Conference in assists, had nine helpers. The Wolverines shot 54 percent in the game as they shot 55 percent in the first half and 52 percent in the second.
“Utah Valley hit some great shots but when we allow 11 three-pointers, it's difficult to make up the difference,” said head coach Mary Gleason. “I'm proud of our fight and perseverance. We had great production from four of our players who were in double-figures, which is something that has not happened. That's progress and moving forward. I'm proud of our kids to fight for 40 minutes and we're eager to take them on in Utah.”
HBU started the game on a 6-0 run as Green hit a jumper followed by back-to-back buckets by Texada, which prompted Utah Valley to take a timeout just 55 seconds into the game. Following the timeout, the Wolverines got on the board as Kaycee Mansfield had a layup to make the score 6-2 Huskies, but HBU went on a 5-0 run to jump ahead to 11-2 with 17:19 left in the first half as Ernesta Griciunaite had a layup followed by a three-pointer by Green.
The Wolverines answered back with five straight points, as Jensen hit a layup followed by a three-pointer by Beutler, as HBU led 11-7 with 15:46 remaining in the first half.
The two teams traded shots as Texada had a layup, but Johnson nailed a three, as the Husky lead was three, 13-10.
After a missed Husky jumper, Johnson was fouled in the act of shooting and hit both of her free throws. Jensen then hit a three-pointer and the Wolverines had their first lead of the game, 14-13, with 14:27 left in the opening half.
Jackson hit a three for the Huskies, followed by a jumper by Jamie Spriggs and the Huskies were back up by four, 18-14. The lead was cut to one as the next UVU possession, Jensen hit a three pointer with 13 minutes left on the clock.
After a pair of made free throws by Beutler gave the visitors a one-point lead, the Huskies got the lead right back as Brittany Barton hit a jumper to make it 20-19 HBU with 12:10 left in the first half.
The Wolverines went on a 6-0 run to take a five-point lead, 25-20, with 10:39 left. Jenkins hit two jumpers and Beutler hit one herself, as HBU had two turnovers in the next three possessions.
HBU used a 5-0 run to tie the game at 25-all, as Green hit a three-pointer and then hit a layup on the next possession.
The teams went back and forth, as Kyra Prause hit a jumper to give the Wolverines a 27-25 lead with 8:41 remaining, only for HBU to take a one-point lead on a long-ball by Green. Jensen hit a layup and the Wolverines were back up by one, 29-28, with 7:25 remaining in the opening half.
Johnson hit a three-pointer to give UVU a four-point lead, but it was back down to one as Jackson answered with her own long ball. The Huskies continued, as a Mele Leasau jumper and the ensuing free throw for a three-point play gave the Huskies a two-point lead at 34-32 with 5:15 left in the first half.
Following a Green free throw, Jensen hit a jumper as the Husky lead was one, 35-34, with 3:33 remaining. Pugh hit a layup to give the Huskies a three-point lead, but the game was tied for the third time in the half, as Jensen hit a three-pointer. On the next Wolverine possession, Jensen hit a layup followed by a three-pointer by Johnson, and the Wolverines were up five, 42-37, with 47 seconds remaining. Spriggs concluded the half with a layup with five seconds remaining as the Huskies were down 42-39 at the break.
The Huskies tied the contest six seconds into the second half, as Green hit a three-pointer. Kim Bell answered with a long ball of her own and after a Pugh jumper, Jensen hit another three-pointer for the Wolverines, who led, 48-44, a minute-and-a-half into the second half.
Mansfield hit a layup to give the visitors a six-point advantage. The Huskies went on a 5-2 run, as a Jensen jumper was sandwiched between two Leasau free throws and a Barton three-pointer. Johnson hit a jumper and the Wolverines were up three, 54-51, with 13:45 remaining in the second half.
Jackson hit a layup, which was answered by a jumper by Jensen. The next Wolverine possession, Mansfield hit a jumper and the lead was five, 58-53, with 12:17 left in the game, prompting HBU to take a timeout.
Following the timeout, Spriggs hit a jumper and the Huskies were down by three, 58-55. The Husky defense stopped UVU on its next four possessions, but the Huskies could not take advantage. Bell hit a layup followed by a jumper by Johnson, forcing HBU to take another timeout, as UVU was up, 62-55, with 8:21 remaining in the second half.
The timeout did not stall the Wolverine offense, as Bell hit a layup and made the free throw for the three-point play and the Wolverines had their largest lead of the night, at 65-55, with 7:41 left.
The Huskies stopped the run with a three-pointer by Pugh, but that was answered by a three by Bell, as the lead was back to 10, at 68-58, with 5:41 remaining in the second half.
Pugh had a layup, which was answered with a Jensen layup. Leasau hit a jumper followed by a three-pointer by Green, as UVU led by only five, 70-65, with three minutes remaining.
UVU came right back with a long ball by Beutler. Texada hit two free throws on the next Husky possession followed by a jumper by Pugh and HBU was down four, 73-69, with 1:32 left in the second half.
After two Beutler free throws, Jackson hit a jumper as the Huskies used a timeout, down by four, 75-71, with 56 seconds remaining.
Beutler hit two free throws and on the next possession, the Huskies missed a three, but Texada got the rebound and put in the layup, as the Huskies took an immediate timeout, down four, 77-73, with 27 seconds remaining.
The Wolverines missed both free throws and Jackson stole the ball and hit a layup, as the Huskies were down only two, 77-75, with 11 seconds remaining. But the ensuing drive, the Wolverines wasted seven seconds off the clock before the Huskies could foul and Beutler hit both free throws to end the scoring.
HBU will hit the road to face conference in-state rival, UT-Pan American, on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 pm.
