STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton improved to 2-0 and swept the F&M Bank TexAnn Tip-Off Classic with a 59-56 win over Heartland Conference power, St. Mary's Saturday night.
McKinley Bostad got the TexAnns rolling with a three-pointer for the first points of the game to start a quick 9-2 run over the first four minutes of the game. Tarleton pushed the lead to as many as 11 with 44 seconds left in the opening quarter when Lucy Benson drained a jumper.
St. Mary's answered back, however, over the first 3:35 of the second quarter to cut the TexAnn lead to one before Nina Alvarez drilled her first career three-pointer to start an 8-2 Tarleton run over the rest of the first half. Tiara Tatum connected for a long ball of her own for the final points of the first half to send the TexAnns into the break with a 30-23 lead.
Tarleton maintained at least a five-point lead over the entire third quarter and ended the frame with six unanswered points from Shelby Mankins (4) and Wilson to take a 50-39 lead into the fourth quarter.
St. Mary's spent the first seven minutes of the final quarter putting together a 14-4 run to pull within one at 54-53 with 1:01 left in the game, but McKenzie Hailey slowed down the run with a layup off a driving, baseline pass from Katie Webster to put the TexAnns back on top by three. After a defensive rebound from Webster on the other end, McKinley Bostad went to the free throw line and knocked down a pair to push it back to five.
St. Mary's hit a three-pointer with nine seconds left and Hailey hit one free throw on the other end before the Rattlers came up short on a triple try as time expired.
Hailey finished the game with her first double-double of the young season and the 14
th of her career with 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. Bostad also finished in double figures with 10. The rest of the starting five – Kylie Collins, Tiara Tatum, and Webster – each finished with eight.
Alvarez (5), Mankins (4), Wilson (4), and Benson (2) rounded out the scoring for Tarleton, who shot .345 as a team. Tarleton was .813 from the charity stripe for the game and won the rebounding battle 37-36.
Tarleton will make its first road trip of the season next weekend as the TexAnns head to Denton to compete in the Texas Woman's Invitational tournament Saturday and Sunday. The TexAnns will play Central Oklahoma and Regis on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at 2 p.m.
