University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas at Arlington

Women's Basketball

Candice Champion

Candice Champion

MAVERICKS FALL 67-57 TO TEXAS SOUTHERN

Candice Champion finished with 21 points and eight rebounds

Dec. 30, 2008

UT Arlington vs. Texas Southern (12-30-08) Get Acrobat Reader

Tulsa, Oklahoma - After recording a win last night at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, UT Arlington dropped a 67-57 decision to Texas Southern in the final day of the Tulsa Select Holiday Classic.

With the setback, UTA fell to 5-7 on the season while Texas Southern improved to 2-7 overall.

The Mavericks opened the first half cold, allowing the Tigers to cruise to an 11-0 run to start the game. A pair of free throws by senior Erin Dixon put UTA on the scoreboard at the 13:17 mark, making the score 11-2.

UT Arlington struggled on both sides of the ball, as Texas Southern took an 11-point lead with 6:35 left in the first half. The Mavs managed to cut the deficit to six points but several buckets by TSU led them to a 34-21 halftime advantage.

Texas Southern led the second half with two quick buckets, taking a 38-23 lead at the 18:30 mark. The Mavericks fought their way back into the game with a 12-0 run, to come within three points with 13:36 left on the clock.

UTA came within one following a LaTosha Duffey jumper at the 5:54 mark, making the score 46-45. The one-point deficit was as close as the Mavs would come, as the rest of the game was a free throw shooting contest.

Candice Champion recorded 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, 7-of-12 from the charity stripe and added eight rebounds. Duffey finished with eight points and Meghan Nelson chipped in with eight.

Three Tigers finished in double-figures including Jasmine Cannon who collected a game high 25 points, 14 of those points coming from the free throw line.

For the game, the Mavericks shot a season-low 30.4 percent (17-of-56) from the field, 11.1 percent (2-of-18) from behind the arc and 65.6 percent (21-of-32) from the free throw line.

The Mavs return to the confines of Texas Hall for a two-game home stand after spending the entire month of December on the road. UTA begins the New Year with a match-up against Houston Baptist on January 3 with game time set for 4 p.m.