
STEPHENVILLE – Knocking down a season-high 12 3-pointers, Tarleton State Women’s Basketball swept the week and tasted victory over Utah Tech 74-65 on Saturday at Wisdom Gym.
The Texans’ 12 3-pointers were the most under head coach Bill Brock, with five different players collecting at least one basket from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Niki Van Wyk drained five 3-pointers en route to leading the Texans in scoring with a season-high 17 points off the bench. Senior guard Jakoriah Long added 13 points to go with six assists, dishing out her 100th career assist in the process. Seniors Miannah Little and Elise Turrubiates added 11 points each while sophomore center Faith Acker posted her third double-digit rebounding game of the season with 10 boards.
“I’m very pleased with our effort,” Brock said. “Utah Tech is a very hard team to guard. They’re a tough team and are fighting for conference wins. I’m proud that we were able to hold serve at home and protect our home court this weekend. We weren’t able to do that last year until late in the year and being able to do that is big.”
While Tarleton State weathered Utah Tech’s storm of 3-pointers through the final buzzer, the Trailblazers used shots from beyond the arc to take the early advantage. After scoring the first five points of the game, Utah Tech hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter to take an early 13-6 lead. Utah Tech, who shot 45.8% from 3-point range on Saturday, capped off an 8-0 scoring run with a layup and took a seven-point lead through the first 10 minutes.
Needing an offensive spark, Tarleton State turned to its bench in the second quarter. Following a layup from Little, Van Wyk tied the game with her first 3-pointer of the afternoon with just over five minutes to play in the first half. Utah Tech responded with a 3-pointer of its own, but Van Wyk countered the Trailblazers’ punch on the Texans’ next offensive possession and knocked down her second consecutive 3-pointer.
Another basket allowed Utah Tech to retake the lead in the second quarter, so Tarleton State turned to its 3-point weapon. Finding Van Wyk again, the senior guard drilled her third straight 3-pointer that allowed the Texans to take charge. Van Wyk’s 3-pointer ignited a 13-0 scoring run that allowed the Texans to take a 33-25 lead at the half.
Utah Tech looked to climb out of the hole in the second half, but Tarleton State refused to let the Trailblazers cut the deficit to one possession. Another 3-pointer from Van Wyk allowed the Texans to move ahead by double-digits, with Tarleton State going up 56-46 to end the third period.
Little continued the 3-point parade in the fourth quarter, opening the final period with a shot from beyond the arc before Van Wyk’s fifth 3-pointer of the afternoon. After the Texans moved ahead by 17, Utah Tech responded with five quick points and looked for the late comeback. The Tarleton State lead was too much for the Trailblazers and the Texans managed to protect their home court once again.
Tarleton State goes on the road for its next WAC matchup, traveling to California Baptist on Thursday for a 1 p.m. matinee.
Postgame Notes
- Tarleton State used a season-high 12 3-pointers to collect its second straight win on Saturday, defeating Utah Tech 74-65 at Wisdom Gym. It is the Texans’ best three-game start in WAC play since joining the conference.
- Senior guard Niki Van Wyk led Tarleton State in scoring with 17 points off the bench, knocking down a season-high five 3-pointers. It is the fifth time in her career she has had five made 3-pointers in a game, with the last outing being Feb. 22, 2023, when she was at Black Hills State. She is the fifth Tarleton State player in the Division I Era to have five made 3-pointers in a game.
- After having 20 offensive rebounds on Thursday, Tarleton State grabbed a season-high 26 offensive rebounds in Saturday’s game against Utah Tech. It is the first time in the Division I Era Tarleton State had 20+ offensive boards in back-to-back games. The Texans last had two consecutive games with 20+ offensive rebounds in 2018 (at Biola, at Cal Poly Pomona).
- Tarleton State dished out 21 assists on Saturday, its second-highest of the season. Senior guard Jakoriah Long led the Texans with a season-high six assists and passed the 100 career assists mark in the process.
- Tarleton State sank a season-high 12 3-pointers on Saturday, the most in the Bill Brock Era. It is the first time since Feb. 24, 2024 (at California Baptist) the Texans have knocked down 10 3-pointers as a team.
- The Texans had 34 points off the bench, the fourth game this season Tarleton State has had where 30 or more points came from players off the bench. Tarleton State has won seven out of its nine games in 2024-25 when it scores at least 20 bench points. The Texans are now 7-2 under Brock when the Texans have at least 30 bench points.
- Tarleton State is now 8-1 at Wisdom Gym this season, its best start at home in the Division I Era. It is the first time since the 2018-19 season that Tarleton State won eight of its first nine home games.
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