EL PASO, Texas – HBU only trailed by three midway through the second period, but UTEP went into halftime on a run, which continued into the second half as the Miners defeated the Huskies, 75-45, in non-conference women's basketball Wednesday night at the Don Haskins Center.
Freshman forward
Taylor Kollmorgen led the Huskies (1-5) with 10 points and nine rebounds, while senior guard
Heidi Byrd added nine points and five rebounds. Freshman guard
Sophie Taylor added six points and six boards.
Sparkle Taylor had 21 points and six rebounds for the Miners (2-5), while Tamara Seda came off the bench to score 18 points and grab 15 rebounds. Katarina Zec chipped in with 10 points, Axelle Bernard had seven rebounds and seven blocked shots and Lulu McKinney handed out 10 assists to go along with her seven points.
The Miners shot 38.8 percent from the field, but only hit 2-for-15 from 3-point range and went 21-for-27 from the line, while the Huskies shot only 25.0 percent from the field, 4-for-21 from long distance and 8-for-13 from the stripe. UTEP outrebounded HBU, 49-44, and forced 23 Huskies turnovers, while committing only 12.
HBU fell behind by nine with a minute remaining in the first quarter, but freshman
Britta Daub nailed a three and Byrd's jumper with a tick left on the clock pulled the Huskies within four at the buzzer. UTEP opened the second-quarter scoring on a jumper by Bernard, but redshirt freshman forward
Charlotte Hodges hit a jumper and freshman guard
Sophie Taylor buried threes on back-to-back possessions to tie the game, 19-19. Zec answered with a three, but sophomore center
Kennedy Collins' jumper kept the Huskies within one. Short baskets by Seda and Sparkle Taylor restored the Miners' lead to five, until a jumper by sophomore guard
Bria Johnson made the score 26-23 with 5:03. Sparkle Taylor scored seven points as UTEP closed the first half on a 12-4 spurt to lead 38-27 at the break.
The Miners then outscored the Huskies, 16-8, in the third and 21-10 in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
The Huskies return home for a three-game homestand, beginning with crosstown rival Texas Southern Sunday at 4 p.m. at Sharp Gym.
