Barrage of Three-Pointers Leads To Women's Hoops Victory

SAN ANTONIO – A trio of players scored in double figures to lift the St. Mary's Women's Basketball team to an 81-72 victory over Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday afternoon.

The Rattlers (12-11, 11-8 Lone Star Conference) were led by junior Soteria Banks (Round Rock, Texas) with 19 points, while freshman Briley Perkins (Houston) scored 17 and junior Hannah Wilson (Fredericksburg, Texas) chipped in 14 points and led the team with eight rebounds.

Both Banks and senior Alexia Torres (San Antonio) had six assists each as the Rattlers notched 23 assists on 28 baskets on the day. Junior Jessica Barbosa (Bissai, Guinea Bissai) led the team with three steals and three different players each had one blocked shot.

The Falcons (9-16, 5-13 Lone Star) out-rebounded the Rattlers 39-to-32, the largest rebounding deficit of the year for the Gold & Blue, however the Rattlers shot 46.7 percent for the game and 47.8 percent from the three-point line. The defense held the Falcons to 19 percent from beyond the arc on the afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Falcons scored four of the first five points of the game before Wilson scored on back-to-back baskets for the 5-4 lead. The teams traded three-pointers and Perkins three sparked an 8-0 for the Rattlers to bring the score to 13-7 with 5:45 to go. After a free throw by UTPB, the squads exchanged baskets for the 15-10 tally. Barbosa scored on a layup and the Falcons scored four of the next five to cut it to a four-point contest, 18-14 with 1:55 remaining. After a triple by Perkins, the teams traded layups and freshman Bella Hughes (Argyle, Texas) made the final basket of the quarter for the 25-16 score.

Wilson scored four of the first six points of the second quarter to push the advantage to 11, 29-18 at 9:04. Freshman Tonia Bilic (Zagreb, Croatia) sank a pair at the charity stripe and after a UTPB layup, Bilic drained a three-pointer for a 14-point lead, 34-20. The Falcons added one free throw and both teams went two minutes without a point until Perkins sank two free throws with 4:40 left for the 36-21 tally. A 7-0 run by the Falcons cut the lead to seven, 36-29, however freshman Sydney Hardeman (Allen, Texas) drilled a three to stop the run. After one at the charity stripe for the Falcons, Hughes hit a triple and Banks made two free throws to end the half, 44-30.

The Falcons scored the first four points of the third quarter and Perkins responded with a fastbreak layup to keep the lead a dozen, 46-34 with 7:53 on the clock. After a jumper by UTPB the teams traded triples and Barbosa drained both free throws. A five-point run by the Falcons cut the lead to seven, 51-44 with 4:40 to play but Hardeman snapped the scoring run with her second three-pointer. The Falcons made a layup and Perkins answered with a traditional three-point play. Junior Christina Baker (Mansfield, Texas) kept things going with her lone basket. UTPB scored six of the next eight to make in a single-digit spread, 61-52 with 1:20 on the clock, but the Rattlers again responded with a triple, this one by Torres.  Banks added one more three for the 67-52 end of third quarter score.

The Rattlers scored four of the first six of the final stanza and the teams traded baskets to keep it a 17-point spread, 73-56 at the 6:54 point. StMU scored three of the next five and the Falcons responded with a 6-0 run to bring the score to 76-64. After trading three-pointers the teams again went two minutes without scoring until the Falcons sank four at the charity stripe. Hardeman answered with two of her own and UTPB made the final free throw for the 81-72 final.

TEAM & INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES

• Soteria Banks scored 19 points to bring her career total to 1,106, moving her into 16^th all-time at St. Mary's. She passes Dezirae Elias, who scored 1,101 from 2012-16.
• The Rattlers made 11 three-pointers in the contest to bring their season total to 175, which jumps them from 8^th to 5^th on the school's charts. They pass the 2007-08 team which sank 165, the 2005-06 club which made 170 and the 2016-17 squad which drained 172.
• Banks also climbed three spots on the school's single season list to tie for eighth with 52 made three-pointers. She is knotted with Dawn Killian from 2006-07. Banks passed Chastity Noble, who was 10^th with 49 (2009-10) and Natalie Gamez in ninth with 51 (2006-07).
• Nine of the 10 players who saw action in the game for the Rattlers scored at least two points and grabbed one rebound.
• The 11 three-pointers for the Gold & Blue marks the 10^th time this season they've made double figures in triples.
• The Rattlers were out-rebounded by seven, the largest deficit of the season. Twice earlier this year the team had been out-boarded by six.

UP NEXT
The Rattlers take to the road next week for games at Tarleton State on Thursday and Texas Woman's on Saturday. Game times are scheduled for 5:30 and 2 pm., respectively. The team comes home the following week for Senior Day on Saturday, Feb. 29 against St. Edward's.