CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University Women's Basketball team fell a few points shy of defeating a talented UT Arlington team, losing 62-58 on Jan. 30. The Thunderbirds drop to 4-16 overall with a 2-5 Western Athletic Conference record, while the Mavericks roll to an 11-7 record, with a 6-1 conference record.

Top T-Birds

• In addition to four assists and two steals, Samantha Johnston pieced together a season-high 16 points, sinking four triples.

• Daylani Ballena scored 14, adding two steals of her own.

• Jaeden Brown recorded a double-double, scoring 10 points and bringing down 10 boards.

• Lexi Bull led the team in rebounding with an impressive 12 grabs off the glass.

Head Coach Tracy Mason Said:

Game Recap

First Half

Southern Utah got off to another strong start, with Samantha Johnston draining two triples in the midst of an eight-point quarter. By the end of the first, the Thunderbirds led 15-11.

UTA found their offensive rhythm in the second, but scores from Jaeden Brown and another three from Johnston kept SUU in the lead with only two minutes left. After a Mavericks score, Daylani Ballena and UT Arlington's Avery Brittingham exchanged free throws to force a 28-28 tie going into the halftime break.

Second Half

After a back-and-forth battle to open the third, Sydney Gandy drained a triple for her first points of the game, giving the Thunderbirds a four-point lead. UTA pushed to take the lead going into the final quarter, but a basket from Ava Uhrich kept the Thunderbirds ahead 45-42.

The Mavericks surged ahead at the start of the fourth quarter, extending to a five-point lead. A three-pointer from Gandy, four free throws, and a last-second layup from Daylani Ballena cut the UTA lead to one with 12 seconds left. Southern Utah had a chance to tie the game with 10 seconds left, but couldn't get a shot off, and UTA came away with a steal and a basket at the other end, ultimately ending in a 62-58 SUU loss.

Highlights

Sam swishes it from 3️⃣ to start the scoring!

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/d55X9aLHuZ
— SUU Women's Basketball (@SUUWBasketball) January 31, 2025
 

Sam has a magic 🎱 points already 😮‍💨

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/x4Rz3dgEYa
— SUU Women's Basketball (@SUUWBasketball) January 31, 2025
 

Had us all holding our breath with that one 🫢

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/4ibD2L7CLp
— SUU Women's Basketball (@SUUWBasketball) January 31, 2025
 

Sydney scores her first points of the game to SNATCH the momentum 💪

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/rELx8jFiUr
— SUU Women's Basketball (@SUUWBasketball) January 31, 2025
 

Making those steals count 😤

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/2nPUWZmNVI
— SUU Women's Basketball (@SUUWBasketball) January 31, 2025
 

Sydney SINKS it from DEEP 🎯 

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/30ZOfLjJ05
— SUU Women's Basketball (@SUUWBasketball) January 31, 2025
 

Dayla sneaks it in to give us a chance!

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/DJ8S28eX2o
— SUU Women's Basketball (@SUUWBasketball) January 31, 2025
 

Up Next

The Thunderbirds will remain at home to face the Tarleton State University Texans on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2:00 p.m. The western-themed game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

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Season tickets, mini packages, and single-game tickets are now available! Get yours today by visiting tbirdtickets.com.

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