BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — The North Texas Mean Green used a dominant second quarter and a game-high 16 points from Cherie Spencer to secure a 72-59 victory over the UAB Blazers in an American Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Bartow Arena.

The Mean Green (11-7, 3-2 AAC) broke open a tight contest with a decisive 22-point second period while holding the Blazers (7-12, 0-5) to just 13 points, establishing a lead they would not relinquish. The teams entered the second quarter tied at 18, but North Texas emerged from the frame with a 40-31 halftime advantage, fueled by efficient offense and a disruptive defense.

The most important part of the game was North Texas’s overwhelming ability to capitalize on UAB’s mistakes. The Mean Green scored 31 points off turnovers, more than doubling the Blazers’ output of 11 in that critical category. This relentless pressure, which included 10 team steals, consistently thwarted any attempt by UAB to build momentum and allowed North Texas to control the tempo throughout the night.

Spencer, a guard from Slidell, Louisiana, led all scorers, adding four assists in 32 minutes of action. Her backcourt mate, Aysia Proctor of Schertz, Texas, contributed 13 points and a game-high three steals over 37 minutes. The Mean Green also dominated inside, outscoring UAB 32-20 in the paint, with key contributions from Megan Nestor of Canaries, St. Lucia, who had nine points and nine rebounds.

UAB was led by Cali Smallwood of Blountsville, Alabama, who scored 21 points. Sofia Munoz of Canovanas, Puerto Rico, added 10 points, two assists and a block for the Blazers, who have now lost five consecutive conference games.

Despite the final margin, UAB kept the game competitive early. The first quarter featured five ties, the last at 18-18 after a buzzer-beating three-pointer from North Texas’s Proctor. The Blazers hung within striking distance for much of the second half but could never mount a sustained run to seriously threaten the Mean Green lead, which grew as large as 16 points in the fourth quarter.

North Texas, which entered the game as a heavy favorite according to advanced metrics, has now won three of its last four games. UAB, still seeking its first AAC win of the season, was hampered by 20 turnovers.

The Mean Green shot from the floor, from three-point range and from the free throw line. UAB shot from the floor, from three-point range and from the free throw line. Official shooting percentages were not immediately available.

Attendance at Bartow Arena was 247.

North Texas returns home to face Tulsa on Saturday. UAB will host East Carolina, also on Saturday.