SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State women's basketball team pulled away from Texas Permian Basin for an 86-57 win on Saturday afternoon at Stephens Arena at the Junell Center.
The Belles (10-4, 5-3 LSC) shot a season high 52.7 percent from the field and added 22 points off 18 UTPB turnovers. The Falcons (5-11, 3-5 LSC) were limited to 32.3 percent from the field and were held to nine points in the second quarter. ASU outscored UTPB 44-30 in the paint and 38-10 via bench points.
Keanna Kelly scored a game high 19 points with three assists and five rebounds. Dezirae Hampton added 17 points and Kynese Davis chipped in a career high 13 points. Marquita Daniels tallied 12 points with a game high seven assists. Ekiya Gray grabbed a career high 11 rebounds and scored seven points with four assists.
The Belles jumped out to an early 13-4 lead through the first seven minutes of the first quarter. Daniels started the scoring with an old fashioned three point play. UTPB would be held scoreless for the first 2:59 of the game. Madi Greenwood excelled at the free throw line early hitting four straight during the 13-4 run. Up 13-4 at the 3:32 mark, ASU kept the offense going outscoring UTPB 11-5 until the Falcons hit a shot to end the quarter to make it 24-11. Angelo State scored 13 of its 24 points at the free throw line.
UTPB came out in the second quarter and halfway through the quarter cut the ASU deficit to 26-20. The Belles stepped up their defense and held the Falcons scored over the last 5:55 of the second quarter. Angelo State would score 15 straight points highlighted by a three pointer from Davis. Ten points in the second quarter came in the paint.
The two teams came out hot in the third quarter scoring a combined 45 points in the third quarter. ASU was efficient hitting 64.3 percent. The two teams traded buckets throughout the third quarter with UTPB only getting as close as 17 at the 6:59 mark. Kelly would score five straight points to push the Belle advantage back to 22. A Hampton jumper would be the final jumper of the quarter as ASU took a 63-43 lead into the fourth quarter.
ASU kept up with its efficient pace in the fourth quarter scoring 23 points on 61.9-percent from the field. The Falcons were held to just 33.3 percent from the field as the Belles pulled away. Up by 16 at 68-50 with 6:18 left in the game, Angelo State went on an 18-5 run that started with a Kelly 3-pointer. The senior hit two of her three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Davis added eight points down the stretch to give ASU the 86-57 victory.
The Belles will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 25 in Silver City, New Mexico against Western New Mexico at 5:30 p.m. MST / 6:30 p.m. CST.
