STEPHENVILLE, Texas - The Southern Utah University women's basketball team came up short against Tarleton State on Saturday, Mar. 2 at Wisdom Gym, falling 69-63. The Thunderbirds move to 7-20 overall and 5-13 in Western Athletic Conference play, while the Texans improve to 9-18 and 6-12 WAC.
HEAD COACH TRACY MASON SAYS
"I thought we played hard, we had the effort, we had the energy. We needed a few more shots to drop and a few more stops on the defensive end. I was really impressed with Shiho, playing with a broken nose and being absolutely fearless."
TOP T-BIRDS
GAME RECAP
First Half
Southern Utah came out strong to start the game. Ava Uhrich opened the scoring for the Thunderbirds, drilling a three pointer at the top of the key with 8:50 on the clock. Shiho Isono came up with a steal on the following play and connected on a fast break layup to give SUU a 5-0 lead. Tarleton State fired off a 13-2 run to jump in front 13-7 midway through the quarter. Southern Utah responded, closing the period with a 13-6 stretch to take a 20-19 advantage at the end of the first.
The two squads matched each other basket for basket as the score was tied at 26-26 with 6:10 on the clock. The Texans then used an 11-6 burst to go up 37-32, with Daylani Ballena and Uhrich leading the 'Birds' offensive effort with nine points each at the break.
Second Half
Southern Utah relied on a balanced attack in the third quarter, with six T-Birds getting in the scoring column. The Texans outscored the Thunderbirds 19-14 in the frame to jump in front 56-46 approaching the final period of play.
After Tarleton State extended its lead to 64-50, Southern Utah scored eight of the next 10 points to get within eight, 66-58, with 2:10 on the clock. However, the Texans were able to hold on to earn a 69-63 victory.
NOTABLE PLAYS
UP NEXT
Southern Utah will return to the America First Event Center on Thursday, Mar. 7 for a matchup against Stephen F. Austin. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. MT.
FOLLOW US
For all the latest on Southern Utah women's basketball, follow @SUUWBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and like the Southern Utah Women's Basketball Facebook page.
DONATE
To help support Thunderbird athletics consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support click here.
