First Victory of the Deacon Jones Era for Women’s Basketball

TEXARKANA, Texas – The Texas A&M University–Texarkana women's basketball team claimed its first victory of the season Monday evening, securing a 62–56 win over Philander Smith inside the Patterson Student Center—marking not only the Eagles' first triumph of the year, but also the first career win at TAMUT for Head Coach Deacon Jones.

After a slow offensive start, the Eagles found their rhythm in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 38–24 over the final two quarters to flip an early deficit into a momentum-building home victory. TAMUT's bench proved to be the difference, pouring in an impressive 50 points to spark the comeback.

Leading the charge was Maiya Petit, who delivered a game-high 21 points on 7–14 shooting, including five made three-pointers. Eleionna Brown added a dominant presence around the rim, tallying 16 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double, while providing multiple second-chance opportunities that shifted control back to the Eagles. Demetria Smith anchored the paint with 7 rebounds and 4 assists, and Imani Rothschild contributed 6 steals as TAMUT's defense forced 21 turnovers on the night.

A&M–Texarkana trailed 32–24 at halftime but responded with a decisive 19-point third quarter, highlighted by a spark from the bench unit and improved shooting from beyond the arc. TAMUT hit nine three-pointers in the game while holding Philander Smith to just 3–20 from deep.

Clinging to a narrow lead late, the Eagles executed down the stretch—knocking down key shots, forcing timely stops, and converting at the free-throw line—to close out the program's first win of the Deacon Jones era.

The Eagles will be back in action on December 2nd in a home RRAC matchup against the Bulldogs of Jarvis Christian. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside the Patterson Student Center.

Stay tuned to @TAMUT_Athletics for updates, highlights, and coverage throughout the 2025–26 campaign.