EL PASO, Texas – HBU scored a season-high 87 points and had four players in double figures as the Huskies defeated UTEP, 87-77, Saturday afternoon from the Don Haskins Center.
The win is the first over the Miners in three meetings. UTEP played in the WNIT last season with a record of 29-8.
Shanice Steenholdt led HBU (3-3) with season-highs of 27 points and 16 rebounds, recording her fourth double-double of the season. She also had four assists and two blocks.
Monet Neal dropped 16 points, while
Tayler Jefferson and
Rachel Arthur scored 15 and 11 points, respectively. Jefferson went 10-of-11 from the free throw line, setting a new personal record for free throws made.
Irene Gari scored a team-high 25 points for UTEP (3-3). Cameasha Turner scored 18 points and was tied with Gari with seven rebounds. Lulu McKinney came off the bench to score 13 points.
Sparkle Taylor's layup at the 16:09-mark cut the Miners' defict to one, 9-8, as the two teams entered the first media timeout of the game a few seconds later. HBU proceeded to use a 6-0 run out of the timeout to take a seven-point lead, 15-8, with 14 minutes to go in the first half. Neal had four points and Arthur had two.
A steal by Jefferson followed by a fast-break layup by
Erin McGarrachan gave HBU its largest lead of the game at 14, 36-22, with 4:41 remaining in the opening half. UTEP had cut the deficit to three, 25-22, but HBU used an 11-0 run for the 14-point lead.
The Huskies continued to lead by 10 with 1:44 remaining in the half, but a three-pointer by Stacie Telles followed by a Huskies' turnover, which resulted in a Gari jumper cut the Huskies' lead to five at halftime, 38-33.
Steenholdt led all players with 16 first-half points and eight rebounds, while Gari had 12 points for UTEP. Taylor led the Miners with four rebounds. HBU shot 58 percent from the floor in the opening half compared to 35 percent for UTEP.
UTEP opened the second half outscoring HBU 12-5 to tie the game at 45-all at the 17:22-mark. HBU then scored seven-straight points to lead the Miners, 52-45, as Jefferson had five of the points plus a steal.
The Miners battled back and tied the contest at 57-all following a jumper by Gari with 9:38 remaining in the game. There would be three ties in the next three-plus minutes as the teams traded baskets. UTEP took its largest lead of the game, 67-64, but was quickly answered by a McGarrachan jumper and a free throw by Steenholdt for the seventh tie of the game, 67-67 with 5:40 remaining.
With 3:47 to go and HBU leading by one, 72-71, Steenholdt had a big offensive rebound and put-back to give the Huskies a three-point advantage, 74-71, with 3:19 remaining.
UTEP would intentionally foul the Huskies and HBU would take advantage, going 9-for-12 from the line in the final 1:35.
Jefferson led HBU with 15 second-half points, while Turner scored 14 points for UTEP. HBU shot 54 percent in the second half and 54 percent in the game. UTEP shot 39 percent in the second half and 39 percent in the contest.
HBU begins a four-game home stand next Saturday, Dec. 13 when the Huskies host Arlington Baptist at 4 pm from Sharp Gym.
