TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler claimed its first victory of the 2019-20 season in its home opener Monday night, rallying from a two-point halftime deficit with a dominant second-half performance to post a 74-56 victory over Texas College.
Freshman forward Lilli Stewart came off the bench to score a game-high 19 points, knocking down 6-of-10 three-pointers to lead the Patriots, who also got 11 points from junior guard Kelsey Crouse. Senior guard Beezy Birchette posted game-highs of 13 rebounds and 5 assists.
Texas College led by two points at the half, 35-33, but UT Tyler outscored the Steers by a 20-point margin the rest of the way to win going away.
With the victory, UT Tyler improves to 1-2 on the season, while Texas College drops to 1-3.
Turning Point: Junior guard Addyson Moseley opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, and Lilli Stewart gave UT Tyler its first double-digit lead of the second half with her sixth three-pointer of the game, all part of a 10-0 run in the first 2:30 of the fourth quarter. The run turned a 49-46 lead after three quarters into a 59-46 advantage, and the Patriots led by double figures the rest of the game. The 10-point outburst served as the start of a larger 19-5 run which lasted nearly seven minutes as the lead expanded to 17 points, 68-51, with 3:24 remaining in the game.
How It Happened: Lilli Stewart, a freshman forward who came off the bench to score a game-high 19 points, hit at least one three-pointer in each quarter, knocking down two triples in the final 3:32 of the first quarter to spark the Patriots to a 17-9 lead after one quarter. She added her next three-pointer less than 90 seconds into the second quarter, giving UT Tyler its largest first-half lead at 23-11 with 8:42 left in the quarter.
Later in the second quarter, Texas College erased a seven-point deficit with a 9-0 run over the final 2:05 of the quarter to take a 35-33 halftime edge. The Patriots hit four third-quarter three-pointers, scoring 12 of their 16 points in the quarter from beyond the arc to regain a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Tyreesha Blaylock and Kylea Johson hit the team's first two three-pointers of the quarter before Stewart knocked down two more from deep in the third quarter, and Moseley got the fourth quarter started with another trey which sparked the Patriots' 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Stewart's final three-point make with 8:11 left in the game extended the lead to 57-46, and Aubree Adams added a three-pointer with 4:53 to play.
UT Tyler Standouts: Lilli Stewart led all scorers with a season-high 19 points, adding 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 4 steals. After UT Tyler missed its first six three-pointers of the game, Stewart connected on her first three-point attempt of the game, making her first collegiate three-pointer before delivering five more in the breakout performance. Kelsey Crouse added 11 points and 3 assists, and Beezy Birchette finished with a game-high 13 rebounds along with 5 points and a game-high 5 assists. Every Patriot player who attempted a shot in the game scored at least two points, as Addyson Moseley and Aubree Adams scored 9 points each with Moseley adding 3 steals.
Texas College Standouts: The Steers' leading scorer also came off the bench, as Kailyn Primus made 4-of-9 three-pointers en route to a team-high 18 points, while Tamia Mobley added a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double. Jazmyne Hicks led the Texas College defense with a game-high 5 steals, and she scored 6 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
By The Numbers: Led by Birchette's career-high 13-rebound effort, UT Tyler posted a 53-42 edge on the boards… The Patriots finished the game shooting 42 percent (13-for-31) from three-point range and 39 percent (22-for-57) overall… Texas College was under 30 percent in both measures, shooting 29 percent (20-for-70) overall and 26 percent (6-for-23) from distance… Texas College produced slight edges in scoring in the paint (18-10) and points off turnovers (20-18)… The teams finished tied in second chance points (12-12)… Ten different players from UT Tyler scored points in the game, with eight of them scoring at least five points, and 11 players from Texas College scored although only three surpassed five points.
What's Next: UT Tyler returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 21, when it opens Lone Star Conference play by hosting St. Edward's.
