DENTON, Texas (Jan. 6, 2022) – Electrifying moments culminated in history for the Texas Woman's University basketball team in their 69-56 win over St. Mary's University on Thursday night.
 
The Pioneers electrified Kitty Magee Arena in a historical night for head coach Beth Jillson. The win marked Coach Jillson's 200th career win at TWU.
 
"Tonight was really special," Jillson said. "Obviously, the win means a lot to me, but what makes it even better are the people who have helped me get to this moment. I could not have achieved this momentous mile marker without my amazing coaching staff, all the awesome Pioneer athletes along the way, and, honestly, everyone in Pioneer Athletics."
 
Thursday night's win also included two firsts for the Pioneers—their first win of Lone Star Conference action for the 2021-22 season and their first win of the new year.
 
TWU (8-3, 1-0 Lone Star Conference) had not played since Dec. 20, 2021, when they beat University of Texas – Tyler in KMA. Despite it being a new year, the Pioneers brought the same winning energy into 2022.
 
"The win over St. Mary's really shows the fight each of our girls bring to the floor every single night," Jillson said. "With some people unavailable tonight, everyone made their minutes count. We have freshmen who stepped up and played big minutes for us. Our bench scored 32 points tonight, which is awesome. I am just so proud of them."
 
St. Mary's (1-11, 0-1)) also had not played since Dec. 20, 2021. They started off the game strong, trying to threaten the Pioneers with their height and strength in the post.
 
The entire game was defined by the battle in the post, and freshman Ashley Ingram arose as the victor. Coming off her first career 20+ performance on Dec. 20, Ingram caught fire tonight in her second career start. She finished with 22 points, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Ingram led the charge, but the Pioneers as a team staked their claim in the paint, as they scored 32 points in the paint in the win.
 
The Pioneers and the Rattlers were tied at 29 with three minutes to go in the second quarter. Then, freshman Scout Huffman provided a spark off the bench. She went 3-for-3 from midrange to close the half, giving TWU a four-point lead at halftime.
 
After being close for much of the first half, TWU turned up the scoring in the second half to break away from St. Mary's.
 
The Pioneers hit their largest lead of the game at 15 off a layup by Huffman with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter. Huffman finished the game with 13 points,.
 
Although the 13-point win showcases the offensive talent of the Pioneers, their defense shone brightly again to stifle the scoring for St. Mary's.
 
Senior Agang Tac put together a highlight reel of denials at the rim to stifle St. Mary's. Tac finished the game with four blocks, seven rebounds and thirteen points.
 
The Pioneers also took care of the ball tonight, only recording six turnovers.
 
"We prized every possession tonight," Jillson said. "It was nice to start off Lone Star action with a win and we cannot wait to see everyone in KMA on Saturday."
 
TWU returns to action Saturday, Jan. 8 against St. Edward's University in KMA at 2 p.m.
 
Coach Beth Jillson discusses the win: https://youtu.be/4iTfkuJ5l-Y