DENTON, Texas (Dec. 30, 2023) – In their final game of 2023, the Texas Woman's basketball team fell to UT Tyler in a Lone Star Conference contest, 61-55, on Saturday afternoon in Kitty Magee Arena.
 
TWU (10-3, 4-1) could not overcome a slow first quarter start and dropped their first LSC game of the season to UT Tyler (11-3, 5-0).
 
After allowing the Patriots to score 21 points in the first quarter of action, the Pioneers held UT Tyler to just five points in the second quarter. In the second half, the Patriots scored under 20 points in each quarter. UT Tyler came out with the win, but TWU held them to just 61 points, which is 10 points below their season average.
 
Averee Kleinhans led the Pioneers on Saturday with 18 points in 26 minutes of action – her fourth game with double-digit points. She also added five assists and four rebounds to her stat line.
 
Two Pioneers joined Kleinhans in double-digits. Ashley Ingram, who battled double and triple teams all afternoon, shot 16 free throws – a career high – and finished the day shooting 50% from the field and scored 16 points. Ingram also dished out four assists and seven rebounds. Leila Patel also scored in double-digits, finishing the game with 12 points and matching her career high of seven rebounds.
 
TWU dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Patriots 40-29. Ingram and Patel both led with seven rebounds each, and Gionna Carr was narrowly behind them with six boards.
 
Despite dishing out 14 assists, the Pioneers struggled to take care of the ball and committed 18 turnovers to the Patriots. They forced UT Tyler into 10 turnovers and scored five points off those turnovers.
 
On the defensive end, the Pioneers held the Patriots to shooting just 37.5% from the field and 33.3% from the three point line.
 
The loss on Saturday is just the Pioneers' third loss all-time to UT Tyler.
 
After falling behind 21-11 in the first quarter, TWU put on a strong defensive effort and held UT Tyler to just five points in the second quarter, but the second quarter represented a defensive battle on both sides as the Pioneers scored just nine points.
 
Trailing by just six points, 26-20, the Pioneers headed into the third quarter looking to regain the momentum. Throughout the third, the Patriots quickly pushed it back to a double-digit lead and maintained a 12-point advantage, 44-32, going into the final quarter of action.
 
Aiming to battle back and overcome the deficit, the Pioneers stayed locked in throughout the fourth. After trailing by as much as 15 points in the fourth, Patel hit a three off an assist by Kleinhans to cut the Pioneers' deficit to single-digits at seven, 58-51 with two minutes remaining in the game. 
 
TWU played strong defense and kept UT Tyler from scoring until they hit a free throw with 41 seconds remaining in the game. After the made free throw, the Pioneers still trailed by six, 59-53.
 
A jumper by Kleinhans off an assist by Scout Huffman at the 35 second mark would bring the Pioneers' within four points. Then, the Pioneers forced UT Tyler to commit a back court violation, but were unable to score to cut the deficit.
 
The Patriots would score one final layup to close the game, 61-55.
 
TWU will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. against the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith.