The Lady Mavericks dismantled Arlington Baptist 105-35, securing the second-largest margin of victory in program history during Thursday’s home opener at College Park Center.
Coming off its season-opening loss at the University of Arizona, UTA women’s basketball was one point shy of tying the record for the most points in a single game.
The arena was full of anticipation and excitement as the team kicked off homecoming weekend. A pre-game pep rally hosted by UTA Ambassadors set the night’s buzzing energy.
The Lady Mavericks pounced on the Patriots early, starting the game on a 15-0 run and not looking back.
UTA’s defensive prowess was in full effect, holding the Patriots to a mere 20 points in the first half. Head coach Shereka Wright said the team’s DNA is getting defensive stops on one end and running transitions to get quick buckets on the other.
“Defensively, we love the length and athleticism that we do have. We want to be disruptive,” Wright said. “Tonight, I felt like we did that on both ends.”
The team forced 33 turnovers and 20 steals, which is the fourth time in program history the team finished with 20 or more steals and the first since 2003.
En route to the blowout, all 12 available players saw action on the court. Redshirt freshman forward Jamaya Perry sent the bench into a frenzy when she scored her first UTA points on an and-one layup.
Fifth-year forward Koi Love introduced herself to the Maverick faithful by leading all scorers with 21 points. Love said her experience at other programs and prior familiarity with coach Wright has helped her lead on and off the court.
Fifth-year forward Avery Brittingham recorded her third triple-double in her UTA career with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. She said her teammates were in the right positions, making achieving it easy.
“The majority of that was them,” Brittingham said. “It was good doing it at home, especially homecoming. It was fun.”
Thursday’s game was UTA and Arlington Baptist’s first meet, despite the 10-minute distance.
The Lady Mavericks will begin their five-game road trip with a visit to Louisiana Tech University for the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA challenge 6 p.m. Sunday. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
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