COMMERCE, Texas - Daylani Ballena scored a career-high 25 points as the Southern Utah University women's basketball team fell to Texas A&M University - Commerce 73-67 on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Thunderbirds move to 2-5 on the season, while the Lions improve to 5-3 overall.
HEAD COACH TRACY MASON SAYS
"We have to be better. We had an opportunity and we let it get away from us. There are a lot of little things we need to clean up. We have to execute and defend as a team to be successful and we just didn't do that tonight."
T-BIRD TIDBITS
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Daylani Ballena led the team with a career-high 25 points to go along with seven rebounds.
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Megan Smith recorded a double-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
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The Thunderbirds won the rebounding war, snatching 41 rebounds while holding the Lions to only 37.
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Southern Utah tallied 15 assists as a team, compared to only 10 for Texas A&M - Commerce.
GAME RECAP
First Half
The Thunderbirds came out strong to start the game, taking a 12-6 lead with 3:01 left in the period. However, the Lions used a 7-0 stretch to go in front by one, 13-12, at the end of the first quarter.
The second period was a back-and-forth affair. After the Lions extended their lead to 30-21 with 3:14 on the clock, SUU finished with a 6-2 stretch to get within five, 32-27, heading into the break. Daylani Ballena led the Thunderbirds with 13 points at the half.
Second Half
Southern Utah used an 11-4 spurt to retake a 38-36 lead early in the third quarter. The Lions would fight back, finishing with a 16-10 run to take a 52-48 lead approaching the final period of play.
Samantha Johnston and Ava Uhrich sparked a 5-0 burst to give SUU a 53-52 lead. Texas A&M - Commerce answered with a 15-6 run to jump in front by eight, 67-59, with 2:26 remaining in the game. The Thunderbirds scored eight straight points to battle all the way back, with Ballena drilling a three pointer with 53 seconds on the clock to tie the game at 67-67, but it wasn't enough as the Lions would claim a 73-67 victory.
NOTABLE PLAYS
UP NEXT
The Thunderbirds will have a quick turnaround as they travel to New Mexico on Thursday, Dec. 7 to face the Lobos. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. MT.
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