ODESSA, Texas - Jordan Jenkins returned to action with a team-best 15 points, while Kendall Lentz poured in a career-high 11 points, but the Texas Woman's University basketball team was unable to hold off a second-half rally as the Pioneers (1-4, 1-3 Lone Star Conference) fell 64-59 to UT Permian Basin (4-7, 2-7) on Friday in the Falcon Dome. 

UTPB controlled the pace in the opening quarter, opening up an 11-4 lead with 1:37 remaining. Kam Daily hit a pair of freebies with just over a minute to play to cut the TWU deficit to five, a margin that would hold for the remainder of the quarter. 

The Falcons stretched their lead back to eight (18-10) with 6:51 remaining in the second quarter, but the Pioneers used a 12-0 run to claim a four-point (22-18) advantage in the final minute of the half. A Lauren Stallworth jumper with six seconds remaining pulled UTPB back to within two at the half. 

The Falcons scored the first six points of the third quarter to reclaim the lead, and again pushed the lead out to eight (36-28) with 5:28 remaining in the third. TWU closed the deficit to three (43-40) at the quarter break, and UTPB was able to hold TWU at arm's length down the stretch to hold on for the victory. 

UTPB outshot TWU 37.5 to 34.8 from the floor while TWU held a 38-31 rebounding edge. While TWU held an 11-7 edge in second-chance points, UTPB. held advantages in points off turnovers, points in the paint, bench points, and fast-break baskets. 

The two teams will conclude their two-game set on Saturday with a 3 p.m. game in Odessa.