TYLER, Texas (Feb. 25, 2023) – On Saturday afternoon, the Texas Woman's basketball team closed the 2022-23 regular season with a loss on the road to UT Tyler, 63-54.
 
TWU (24-4, 19-3) split the two game season series with UT Tyler (23-6, 18-4).
 
Despite losing today, the Pioneers took care of business throughout the season and clinched the Lone Star Conference east division and overall regular season title. As a result, they will have the No. 1 seed in the Lone Star Conference Tournament, beginning March 2.
 
As the No. 1 seed, the Pioneers will face the eighth seed at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 2 in Frisco, Texas at the Comerica Center.
 
The final game of the season started out similarly to Thursday's night's game, proving to be a defensive battle.
 
TWU was held scoreless for the first seven minutes of action, but they only gave up seven points to the Patriots in that time.
 
Leila Patel broke the drought for TWU with a triple off an assist from Sadie Moyer, which ignited the Pioneers' offense.
 
Just 20 seconds following Patel's shot, Keslyn King got involved on offense with a made jumper to cut the deficit to two points, 7-5.
 
At the one minute mark, Patel banked in her second three pointer of the game to bring the Pioneers within one to close the first quarter, 9-8.
 
The Patriots would score just one more basket to have just nine points in the first quarter, marking the 14th time this season TWU has held their opponent to less than 10 points in a quarter.
 
The second quarter was all TWU as the Pioneers recorded their highest quarter of scoring with 18 total points.
 
Ngozi Obineke immediately lit the scoring flame for TWU with a made layup in the first 15 seconds of action. Obineke ignited a 9-0 run to open the quarter, as the Pioneers held the Patriots scoreless for four minutes.
 
During the 9-0 run, Ashley Ingram made a free throw, Patel connected on an and-one play and Jordan Jackson splashed a three.
 
As a result of the scoring run, the Pioneers took an eight point lead, 17-9. Then, UT Tyler quickly scored several baskets to tie the game at 19 with 3:32 left in the first half.
 
A layup by UT Tyler gave them a two-point advantage, but not for long. Ingram, who was a perfect 6-6 from the field in today's game, hit a jumper to tie the game at 21.
 
To close the first half, Scout Huffman drained a three pointer with seven seconds remaining to give TWU a three-point advantage heading into halftime, 26-23.
 
Ingram opened the third quarter with back-to-back buckets, including an and-one play ignited by a steal and an assist from Moyer.
 
After Ingram completed the and-one play, the Pioneers were up by eight points, 31-23 with 8:36 remaining in the third.
 
Then, the Patriots mounted a 7-0 run to cut the Pioneers' lead in half, 34-30.
 
UT Tyler got within two points before King pushed the lead back up to four with a made layup, 38-34; nevertheless, UT Tyler quickly answered with a made three pointer to bring TWU's lead to just one point, 38-37, with two minutes remaining in the third.
 
Back-and-forth scoring ended the third quarter, and UT Tyler made a three to take a two-point lead and momentum into the fourth, 43-41.
 
To open the fourth quarter, Moyer drained a three to reclaim the lead for TWU, 44-43, in the first 15 seconds of the final quarter.
 
Then, after two quick baskets by the Patriots, Moyer hit another three to tie the game at 47 with 7:50 remaining in the quarter.
 
Over the next four minutes, the Patriots mounted a 9-0 run that was silenced by an Ingram jumper at the 3:58 mark, but TWU still trailed by seven, 56-49.
 
In the final three minutes of action, TWU was unable to string together baskets on offense and cut into the Patriots lead.
 
After four made UT Tyler free throws, as the Pioneers tried to extend the clock in their favor, TWU would fall to the Patriots, 63-54.
 
Ingram led the Pioneers with 14 points. She became just the third Pioneer in program history to go 100% from the field.
 
Patel finished the game with nine points and a career-high four rebounds.
 
Moyer, King and Huffman each finished with six points.
 
The Pioneers won the rebounding battle 35-29, led by Moyer with seven and Obineke with five.
In the loss, the Pioneers' bench contributed 23 points.
 
TWU will be back in action in the Lone Star Conference Tournament on Thursday, March 2 at 6 p.m.