ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — Texas-Arlington defeated Utah Tech 64-56 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Thursday night at College Park Center. The Mavericks (7-10) never trailed after the first quarter, maintaining a narrow lead throughout. Utah Tech (6-9) stayed within single digits but could not overtake the hosts. Kaylee Borden led all scorers with 23 points for the Trailblazers. Mila Reynolds paced Texas-Arlington with 17 points. Attendance was 761. Texas-Arlington was projected as a heavy favorite by statistical models. Utah Tech visits Tarleton State on Saturday. Texas-Arlington hosts Utah Valley that same day.

ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined by a decisive third-quarter surge and a standout individual performance, the Texas-Arlington Mavericks held off a persistent Utah Tech squad for a 64-56 victory in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Thursday night at College Park Center. The Mavericks improved to 7-10 overall, while the Trailblazers fell to 6-9. The contest was a tight, back-and-forth affair for the first 20 minutes. Utah Tech, led by the dynamic scoring of guard Kaylee Borden, built an early edge, closing the first quarter with a 19-18 lead. Borden, a 5-foot-6 sophomore from Anadarko, Oklahoma, was the primary offensive engine for the Trailblazers, consistently creating shots off the dribble and finishing through contact. Texas-Arlington responded in the second period, leveraging its size and defensive activity to generate transition opportunities. The Mavericks took a 33-29 lead into halftime, but the game remained very much in the balance. The most important stretch of the game unfolded early in the third quarter. With Utah Tech having trimmed the deficit to two points, Texas-Arlington unleashed a 9-2 run over a critical three-minute span. The sequence was fueled by defensive stops and efficient offense. Mila Reynolds, a 6-3 freshman from South Bend, Indiana, hit a key three-pointer, and back-to-back layups from Nya Threatt and Amiyah Reynolds pushed the Mavericks’ lead to 42-33. This surge provided Texas-Arlington with a cushion it would not relinquish. While Utah Tech continued to battle, largely through Borden’s efforts, the Trailblazers could never string together enough consecutive stops and scores to seriously threaten the Mavericks’ lead in the fourth quarter. Texas-Arlington’s defense, which recorded seven blocks and nine steals, consistently disrupted Utah Tech’s rhythm in the half-court down the stretch. Borden finished with a game-high 23 points in 34 minutes, adding four assists. Her performance kept the Trailblazers within striking distance throughout the night. For Utah Tech, Brie Crittendon added seven points and three assists. Texas-Arlington’s victory was a balanced effort, with significant contributions from its core players. Mila Reynolds led the Mavericks with 17 points, three assists and a block. The Reynolds sisters from South Bend made their presence felt all over the floor; Amiyah Reynolds added nine points, two assists and two blocks, while Kira Reynolds contributed nine points, two blocks and a game-high 11 defensive rebounds. Guard Alexsyah Goudeau chipped in 10 points. The Mavericks also benefited from key plays from their supporting cast. Kendal Robinson of Fort Worth provided a spark off the bench with eight points, three assists and three steals, including a crucial theft and coast-to-coast layup just before the halftime buzzer that extended the lead to four and shifted momentum. Utah Tech’s offense stalled outside of Borden’s production, particularly from beyond the arc. The Trailblazers also committed 18 turnovers, which Texas-Arlington converted into 19 points. The Mavericks controlled the interior, outscoring Utah Tech 34-20 in the paint and outrebounding them 42-35. An announced crowd of 761 watched as Texas-Arlington methodically closed out the game in the final period. Utah Tech got as close as six points with just over four minutes remaining after a three-pointer from Merceius Mili, but the Mavericks answered immediately with a jump shot from Mila Reynolds to restore an eight-point advantage and effectively seal the outcome. The win gives Texas-Arlington a positive start to a key homestand, while Utah Tech continues to search for consistency on the road. Both teams return to action Saturday in conference play. Utah Tech travels to face Tarleton State, while Texas-Arlington hosts Utah Valley.

Preview: Utah Tech Looks to Build Momentum at Texas-Arlington ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — Two teams seeking consistency will meet Thursday when the Utah Tech Trailblazers visit the Texas-Arlington Mavericks in a Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball game. Utah Tech (6-8) enters having snapped a three-game skid with a 65-54 home victory over Utah Valley last Saturday. The Trailblazers have struggled on the road this season, going 1-5 away from home. Texas-Arlington (6-10) looks to halt a five-game losing streak, the latest a narrow 59-56 defeat at Abilene Christian. The Mavericks are 4-3 at College Park Center this season. A key matchup will feature Utah Tech guard Lauren Crocker against Texas-Arlington’s Kira Reynolds. Crocker is coming off a solid 13-point, 3-assist performance in the win over Utah Valley. Over her last five games, she is averaging 8.2 points. Reynolds has been a bright spot for UTA during its slump, averaging 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks over her last six contests. She scored a season-high 21 points to go with 4 assists and 4 blocks in the loss to Abilene Christian. For Utah Tech, support for Crocker has come from Chardonnay Hartley, who dished 6 assists against Utah Valley, and Brie Crittendon, who averages a team-leading 31.2 minutes per game. Texas-Arlington will need more offensive production beyond Reynolds. Jadyn Atchison (10 points vs. ACU) and Nya Threatt are among the players who must contribute to ease the scoring burden. The Trailblazers have shown an ability to defend at home, holding three of their last five opponents in St. George under 70 points. Replicating that effort on the road has been a challenge. Utah Tech allows an average of 74.1 points in away games. The Mavericks have been plagued by offensive droughts, failing to reach 60 points in four of their five consecutive losses. Their defense, led by Reynolds’ rim protection, will need to contain a Utah Tech team that shoots 42.3% from the field. This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the programs this season. They will play again in St. George on Feb. 18. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST at College Park Center.