Women’s Basketball Tops Defending National Champions
January 8, 2008

The University of Texas at Tyler women’s basketball team outlasted defending National Champion and 16th-ranked Howard Payne, 61-58, in American Southwest Conference action on Thursday night at the Herrington Patriot Center.

The win was UT Tyler’s second of the season against a nationally ranked team. The Patriots (8-4, 5-2 ASC) knocked off then, 20th-ranked St. Benedict on Nov. 21. The loss was only the second of the season for the Lady Jackets (11-2, 7-2 ASC), who came into the contest having won 44 of their last 45 games.

The game started off at a fast pace and stayed that way throughout the contest. The score went back and forth between the two teams for the entire forty minutes, with the largest lead held by either team being just five points. In total, there were 11 ties and nine lead changes in the contest.

With 1:59 left to play in the game, sophomore Katy Sarem (Helotes, Texas) hit a jumper to put Howard Payne up by one. On the ensuing possession by the Patriots, sophomore Lindsay Eaton (Austin, Texas) drained a jump shot that gave UT Tyler the lead, for what went on to be the final time.

The Patriots were able to pad their lead thanks to a huge three-pointer and clutch free throw shooting from sophomore Melissa Thomas (Austin, Texas). Thomas scored six of her 16 points in the last one minute and six seconds of the game.

Perhaps the most telling stat of the game was the Patriots’ 50-37 out-rebounding of the Lady Jackets. Despite both teams pulling down 27 defensive rebounds each, UT Tyler was able to grab 13 more offensive rebounds than their opponents. The 13 offensive rebound advantage led to 20 second chance points, compared to just six by the Lady Jackets.

Junior Becky Taylor (Bullard, Texas) led all scorers with 19 points on the night. Taylor also recorded 14 rebounds for her 11th double-double in 12 games.

Despite the 14 rebounds from Taylor, it would be who Eaton led the Patriots on the glass, pulling down 15 rebounds of her own. After coming within one rebound of a double-double in each of her last two games, Eaton finally notched her first double-double of the season by scoring 12 points as well.

Katy Sarem led the Lady Jackets with 14 points.

UT Tyler will return to the Herrington Patriot Center on Saturday to close out the ASC West portion of its schedule against Sul Ross St. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

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