All five starters and one reserve scored in double figures for UTPA as the team upped its season mark to 8-7 and kept their home record as Sam Williams Gym perfect at 6-0. Donna Jackson led the Broncs with 17 points.

Britni Martin led Sam Houston with 14 points. Chanice Smith and Clarke Davis also scored in double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively. The loss drops the Bearkat women to 6-7 for the year. SHSU has lost five of its last six games.

A jumper by Smith gave Sam Houston a 13-12 lead with 13:39 remaining in the first half. But the Bearkats never held another lead as UTPA outscored SHSU 34-19 in the final 13 minutes of the first half to go up by 14, 46-32, at intermission.

Late in the second half, a Sam Houston rally pulled the Bearkats to within five points as Devin Wombles cut the lead to 69-64 with a free throw. But the Broncs closed the contest with a 9-2 run for the victory.

UPTA won the battle of the boards with 44 rebounds to 43 by Sam Houston and outscored the Kats 42-38 in the paint. Adana Opara led both teams with 17 boards. Sequeena Thomas led Sam Houston with nine rebounds.

Sam Houston continues its holiday road swing with a 2 p.m. game Sunday in Austin with the Texas Longhorns.

The Bearkat women will return to Sam Houston's Johnson Coliseum for their first Southland Conference game with UTSA Saturday, January 8 at 2 p.m.