SAINT GEORGE – Led by a career-high 29 points from Kaylee Borden, the Utah Tech University women’s basketball team snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 60-58 win over the University of Texas at Arlington Feb. 18.
A win did not appear to be in the cards to start the game, as the Mavericks started the game on a 14-0 run after six minutes of play.
UT finally got on the scoreboard with six straight points, but UT Arlington answered with an 8-0 run to end the first quarter ahead 22-6.
The Mavericks continued to keep their distance in the opening minutes of the second period, but back-to-back 3 pointers from Borden and Paige Cofer cut the deficit to eight, 26-18, with 6:34 left in the half.
Those buckets became the catalyst for a 14-4 run to end the half for the Trailblazers, as they cut the lead down to four at the halftime break, 30-26.
Utah Tech’s late first-half momentum carried over to the third quarter, as consecutive Borden triples and a Calyn Dallas layup put UT in front for the first time, 36-35, just over three minutes in.
The Trailblazers would close out the third quarter on the backs of Borden and Dallas to take a 46-42 lead to the final period.
Both teams went back-and-forth in the fourth quarter, and the score was deadlocked at 58 with 32.4 seconds to play.
After a steal on a UT inbound pass, the Mavericks looked to win the game late in the final seconds.
Kali Haizlip would get a good look at a corner three, but the ball shot over the rim and into the arms of Utah Tech’s Brie Crittendon with 1.5 seconds on the clock.
After the Trailblazers called their final timeout, Borden was fouled on the inbound play, sending the fifth-year guard to the line for the potential winning free throws in the midst of a career night.
Borden stepped up and knocked down both shots from the stripe, putting Utah Tech ahead 60-58.
A final heave from UT Arlington was off the mark, sealing the win for UT and putting an end to a losing streak that began Jan. 15.
After a slew of close losses, the skid was over, and the Traiblazers could lift a weight off their shoulders.
“We needed this one, and we squeezed everything out of it,” Trailblazers assistant coach Emily Chamberlain said postgame.
“If you look at a lot of our games so far, we keep losing close games. Finally, we were able to finish it at the end. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum going,” she added.
Borden, a redshirt senior from Anadarko, Oklahoma, led the way for UT, dropping a career-high 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting, adding four rebounds and two steals.
“I just focused on our keys: pushing the ball, pace, and sharing once I get into the paint, and just shooting it with confidence,” Borden said after her eighth 20-plus point game of the season.
Dallas, a junior recreation and sports management major from Lubbock, Texas, added eight points off the bench and was a key part of the third-quarter run that put UT in front.
“It’s awesome, we’ve been wanting it [a win] for a long time, especially against this team,” she said.
With just four regular-season games remaining, the Trailblazers are looking to build on the win heading into the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas next month.
“We’re just building momentum, and it doesn’t matter when we get to Vegas what the records are. So, we’re hoping to surprise some people,” Dallas added.
With the win, the Trailblazers improve to 7-17 overall and 2-12 in Western Athletic Conference play.
Utah Tech is in action again Feb. 21, hosting Tarleton State University. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside Burns Arena.
This article was originally written for Utah Tech’s student newspaper, Sun News.
Photo credit: Stan Plewe, Utah Tech Athletics.
