Jan. 31, 2008

Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas - Junior Candice Champion poured in a career-high 26 points to lead the UT Arlington women's basketball team in its 97-53 thrashing of Sam Houston State on Thursday at Texas Hall.

Junior Erin Dixon led all players on the glass with a career-high 14 boards as the Mavs improve to 11-7 on the season and 6-1 in Southland Conference action. Brittany Brooks led the Bearkats with 17 points, as they fall to 1-18 and 0-6 on the season.

The Mavericks dominated the game from the beginning and used an 11-0 run, sparked by a Tiffeny Riles jumper, to take the lead 25-10 with 10:50 left in the first half. Riles finished the night with her third double-double of the season scoring 12 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

Four unanswered baskets from Champion was the beginning of a 14-0 UTA run, which drove the Mavericks lead to 25 (41-16) with 3:23 on the clock.

Four the fourth time in school history, UT Arlington had 54 points in one half heading into the locker room at the break to Sam Houston States 22.

Seven minutes into the second half, the Mavericks had built up a 42-point lead behind seven points from sophomore Meghan Nelson.

At the 7:22 mark, sophomore Kristina Grace put her first marks in the scorebook followed at 6:30 by freshman Sandrine Nzeukou with her first points of the game to keep the Mavs up by 41-points (84-43).

In the final six minutes of the game, UTA outscored Sam Houston State 13-to-8 to secure its largest margin of victory (44-points) for the season.

The Mavs will be back on the road as they head to Nacogdoches for an SLC meeting with Stephen F. Austin. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday at Johnson Coliseum.