UTEP Women’s Basketball Fall 68-63 to Pilots in OT Nail-Biter
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- UTEP women’s basketball lost a 68-63 overtime battle to Portland Saturday afternoon. Adhel Tac and Erin Wilson both recorded double-doubles for the Miners.
The Miners (4-6) led by as many as nine points at the end of the third quarter, but the Pilots (6-5) rallied back despite 31 turnovers in the contest.
Tac paced the team in scoring with a career-high 22 points to go with 10 boards. She also tallied a career-high matching three steals. Wilson followed closely behind with 18 points, 10 rebounds and led the game with a career-best five steals.
Aaliyah Stanton also scored in double digits for UTEP with a 10-point effort. Jane Asinde scored nine points and had four rebounds. Dunja Zecevic snagged six boards in the contest.
The Miners shot 36.4 percent (24-66) from the floor and 77.8 percent (14-18) from the foul line. They tallied 38 rebounds and recorded 13 steals and nine assists in the game.
It was a back-and-forth first quarter, with neither team giving the other any breathing room. The Miners led by one, 18-17, at the end of the period. Asinde and Wilson paced the team with six points apiece. Wilson also grabbed four rebounds.
The Pilots went on a 7-0 run to start the second before going on a near seven-minute scoring drought. A last second three-pointer from the visitors meant UTEP once again led by one, 30-29, going into the halftime break. Tac led the way with seven points in the second quarter while Zecevic pulled down five boards.
The Orange and Blue shot 41.0 percent (11-27) from the field and 89.0 percent (8-9) from the charity stripe after two periods. UTEP held a slight advantage over Portland in rebounds (16-13) and assists (7-5) in the first half.
The Miners allowed the Pilots just nine points in the third quarter, holding 47-38 advantage at the end of the period. Tac cleaned up with five points to go with five rebounds in the third.
UTEP hit a bit of a shooting rut in the fourth. A late turnover from Portland would send the game to overtime with the score knotted 57-57. Wilson led the efforts for the Miners with six points in the final quarter.
The Pilots managed to pull away in the overtime, and the game finished 68-63 in favor of Portland. Tac scored all six of the Miners points in the extra period.
Portland shot 48.0 percent (24-50) from the field, including 43.8 percent (7-16) from three, and shot 65.0 percent (13-20) from the line. The Pilots recorded 35 rebounds, 18 assists, and eight steals. Kennedy Dickie led the way with 16 points, followed by Kianna Hamilton-Fisher with 15 and Maisie Burnham with 12. Nine of Burnhams 12 points came from beyond the arc. Lucy Cochrane led the team in rebounds with nine, while adding six points and six blocks. McKelle Meek tallied five assists and Dyani Ananiev snagged a team-high four steals.
UP NEXT
The Miners will be on hiatus for 11 days and return to action against UIC (12/20) and Illinois (12/21) at the West Palm Beach Classic in Florida.
