Tough Third Quarter Thwarts Women's Basketball

DENTON – A tough third quarter sank the St. Mary's Women's Basketball team against #18 Texas Woman's on Thursday evening, 83-53. The Rattlers (5-8, 1-6) turned the ball over a season-high 25 times as the Pioneers (12-1, 7-0) won their 10th-straight game. 
 
Freshman Gabby Elliott (San Antonio) narrowly missed the second double-double of her career with 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Junior Ariah Powell (Detroit, Mich.) added 13 points and was second on the team with four rebounds. 
 
Junior Teanna Huggins (San Antonio) tied for game-high honors with four assists and senior Briley Perkins (Houston) had both of the team's steals on the night.
 
Despite the lopsided score, the Rattlers shot 46.8 percent from the floor for the game, shooting 50 percent or better in both the first (4-8) and fourth (7-13) quarters.
 
There were 10 fouls and nine turnovers between the two teams in the first quarter as the Pioneers held a 13-11 advantage after 10 minutes. The Rattlers shot 50 percent for the period, but took seven less shots than TWU (15-8).
 
After an 8-0 run by the Pioneers put them up 11, 26-15 at the 4:23 mark of the second half, the Rattlers answered with an 11-0 run of their own – with seven of those coming from Elliott – to tie the score for the first time at 26-26 with 1:01 remaining. TWU made two crazy plays late, including a shot at the buzzer that circled the rim before dropping in for the 30-26 halftime score.
 
The 13 points by Elliott are the most for a Rattler in the first half of a game this season, bettering her own output of 11 from a week ago against Texas A&M Kingsville.
 
Texas Woman's broke the game open the third quarter as the Rattlers were held scoreless the final 2:30 and the Pioneers closed the quarter on a 15-2 run to build the 65-36 edge. The two teams went back-and-forth in the fourth quarter for the 83-53 final.
 
The Rattlers head to Tyler to square off with the other undefeated team in the Lone Star standings in the Patriots of UT Tyler. UTT defeated St. Edward's 64-46 on Thursday evening.