ODESSA, Texas – Coming away with the fourth win in the last five Lone Star Conference matchups, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball program completed the weekend sweep on Saturday with a 78-71 win over UT Permian Basin with senior Cloe Lane (Kansas City, Mo.) and juniors Brynae Thompson (Houston, Texas) and Danielle Meador (Corpus Christi, Texas) teaming up for 54 points in the contest.

The Javelinas (7-8, 4-4 LSC) made it back to .500 in conference play following the decision over the Falcons (3-13, 0-8 LSC) as Lane was the spearhead with 21 points, while Meador amassed 17 and Thompson tallied 16 in the game.

TAMUK struck first and carried the lead to the 3:36 mark when UTPB knotted the score at 9-9 with a layup from Alexandrea Washington. The Javelinas came right back and had a 9-3 burst ignited by Lane's fastbreak layup at 3:12 to carry a 18-12 lead heading into the second quarter.

The Falcons eventually tied the game at 20 apiece midway through the stanza, courtesy of an and-one from Juliette Akinwole at 6:38 before junior Rachel Tapps (Cypress Ranch, Texas) put the Javelinas back on top with a pair of shots from the stripe. The Blue and Gold maintained a comfortable cushion going into the locker rooms as redshirt freshman Bri-Anna Soliz (San Angelo, Texas) drained the layup with 17 seconds remaining before UTPB had the response at the buzzer with a layup from Teya Morris to set the score at 35-30 favoring the visitors at the break.

The second half turned into a thrilling back-and-forth shootout as the Javelinas held the 43-40 lead at 5:22 before the Falcons went on a 13-2 run to charge ahead at 53-45. Tapps and Meador teamed up with a layup and trey to put TAMUK back within a single possession at 1:15, while a final pair of free throws from Khali Pippins-Tryon put the Blue and Gold in a five-point deficit at 55-50 going into the fourth.

Thompson drained a shot from the perimeter to open the scoring in the final frame. While a pair of free throws from Lane and a layup from Meador put the Javelinas back on top at 59-57 with 5:10 showing on the clock.

Both sides traded points from there before Lane drained a pair of clutch triples, first at 2:21 before matching the feat with an and-one and 57 seconds remaining in the game, to put the visitors on top at 70-67.

UTPB resorted to fouls from there, a call the Javelinas easily answered with Lane, Meador and sophomore Ravae Payne (Pearland, Texas) teaming up for eight points from the stripe in the closing seconds en route to the 78-71 final.

Lane added six rebounds and five steals to her 21 points on the day. Thompson, meanwhile, went 7-of-8 from the line, while Meador posted six boards.

Soliz brought down a new season-high 17 rebounds in the win, seven of which came on the offensive glass.

The Javelinas return to the SPEC next week to wrap up the first half of the conference schedule, first with a contest against MSU Texas on January 24 with tipoff at 5:30 p.m. CT.

To keep up-to-date with Javelina Women's Basketball, follow the program on Facebook /JavelinaWBB or on Twitter @TAMUKwbb

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