UTA women’s basketball (15-12, 10-6) celebrated Senior Day with an 87-73 victory against California Baptist University (12-18, 9-7) on Saturday at College Park Center.
The Lady Mavericks recognized five graduate and senior teammates with an emotional pregame ceremony. Accompanied by family and close friends, head coach Shereka Wright presented the flowers and framed artwork to each player.
The Lancers came out of the gates blazing from three, hitting seven of their first 12 3-pointers.
However, the Lady Mavericks soared back with dominant paint presence and increased defensive intensity. UTA flipped the game over its head with a 17-1 run in the second quarter, helping the team carry a 45-30 lead by halftime.
Wright inserted senior forward Zoe Nelson in the starting lineup, allowing the Lady Mavericks to punish the Lancers in the paint. Nelson’s contribution included a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“The insertion of Zoe allows Avery [Brittingham] to be able to play her true position at the four and Zoe gives us a rim protector in there,” Wright said. “So, I think that that has been really, really good for us and we can go bigger.”
The third quarter was highlighted by a series of high-level plays by fifth-year forward Avery Brittingham. As CBU gained momentum in the quarter, Brittingham was the catalyst of an 8-0 run, capped with a three-point shot, sending the fans and bench into a frenzy.
Senior guard Taliyah Clark scored a team-high in the third quarter with nine points, helping UTA maintain the lead throughout the game.
Clark said she was proud of the way her teammates responded to recent struggles and their ability to play for one another.
“It was really special,” she said. “I think just going in knowing we wanted to win for our seniors, last time playing in the CPC together, it was big.”
The Lancers made another move in the fourth quarter that cut the Lady Mavericks’ lead to five. Brittingham helped UTA shut the door on CBU with back-to-back baskets to give her team a 77-68 advantage.
Brittingham finished two assists shy of a triple-double, with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Fifth-year forward Koi Love also played dividends in UTA closing the deal, with eight points in the fourth quarter. Love led all scorers with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and added seven assists.
With the win, UTA snapped a five-game losing streak heading into the Western Athletic Conference tournament in Las Vegas. Wright said momentum is important, particularly against CBU, who they’ll face in the first round.
“I want our kids to understand that we’re just as good as anybody,” Wright said. “Teams gotta see us and so we gotta have that mentality going to Vegas.”
The Lady Mavericks now set their sights on the WAC tournament in a CBU rematch 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Orleans Arena. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
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