For Immediate Release: Monday, December 3, 2001
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

LADY BRONCS RETURN HOME, VISIT IOWA TOURNAMENT

EDINBURG, TX-For the first time in four games, the University of Texas-Pan American women’s basketball team will be at home when the Lady Broncs host Texas-El Paso Tuesday night. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at the UTPA Fieldhouse.

UTPA will be trying to duplicate their first win of the season. The Lady Broncs won at UTEP November 21, 74-59.   

UTPA will take a 1-5 record into the game, having dropped their game Saturday night at Lamar. The Lady Miners are 0-5 after losing at Montana State Saturday evening.

“Obviously, we have to step up our intensity and be ready for a team we’ve already beaten,” said UTPA Head Coach Karin Nicholls. “It’s really all about our intensity both offensively and defensively. We have to play harder than we’ve been playing as a team.”

The challenge will be a different one this weekend, as the Lady Broncs will visit Iowa for the Gazette-Hawkeye Challenge. UTPA will meet host Iowa Friday evening at 7:30, after Kent State and Alabama-Birmingham meet in the opener. The third place game and championship are set for Saturday night.

“We’d like to get a win Tuesday and get some confidence and leave on a good note for Iowa,” said Nicholls. “With one team ranked in the top 25 (Iowa), another team that was in the NCAAs last year (Kent State), and a very good team in Alabama-Birmingham, these teams will be the best teams we’ve played all season. We’ll try to do the best we can, secure the game against UTEP, and try to steal one of these games on the road.”

After their trip to Iowa, the Lady Broncs will return to play Texas A&M-Kingsville December 13th.

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