Longview, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team trailed by double digits just three minutes into the game, but the Cru dominated from there on the way to an 89-70 victory over LeTourneau University Saturday afternoon in Longview. UMHB improves to 9-4 overall and 2-2 in American Southwest Conference play with the win. LeTourneau drops to 7-8 overall and 5-3 in the ASC on the year with the loss.
The Yellowjackets raced out to a 14-3 lead with 6:27 remaining in the first period. That lead would grow to 21-7 before UMHB stormed back. The Cru scored the final 11 points of that quarter to cut the lead to 21-18. Tashyra Banks hit a lay-up and Kendall Rollins added two free throws to give UMHB its first lead of the game at 22-21 early in the second stanza. The two teams traded the lead until it was tied at 28 with 7:21 left to play in that quarter. The Cru exploded for a 19-4 run to grab a 15-point lead and UMHB never looked back. LeTourneau would not get closer than eight points the rest of the way and the Cru led by as many as 25 points before coasting to the victory.
Jonelle Smith hit 7-11 shots from the field and went 5-8 from three-point range to score a team-high 19 points to lead UMHB. Alicia Blackwell added 17 points on 7-7 shooting, Kendra Wynn had 11 points and Antania Newton chipped in ten. Blackwell also grabbed a team-best six rebounds and 12 different players scored for the Cru. UMHB shot 53 percent as a team and hit 11-24 from beyond the arc. The Cru also out rebounded LeTourneau 38-33 in the victory.
Crystal Jones led the Yellowjackets with 21 points and LaTanya Drakes scored 18, while pulling down seven rebounds. LeTourneau shot 38 percent as a team, but was just 6-22 from three-point range.
The Cru will now return home to host East Texas Baptist University for a 5:30 PM start Wednesday evening at the Mayborn Campus Center. The UMHB women will follow with road games at Concordia Texas next Saturday and at U.T. Dallas on Monday, December 16th.
