STEPHENVILLE, Texas -- The UT Tyler women's basketball team suffered a 61-30 defeat to Tarleton State in the Patriots' first Lone Star Conference road game Thursday night.
Kelsey Crouse led the Patriots in scoring and rebounding, putting up 11 points with 5 rebounds, while Tarleton produced a pair of double-digit scorers including Mackenzie Hailey, who led all scorers with 15 points.
With the defeat, UT Tyler fell to 2-6 overall and 0-4 in Lone Star Conference play, while Tarleton improved to 6-3 overall, and 1-3 in the LSC.
Turning Point: Ruth Nwokora got UT Tyler started in the second half with a pair of free throws which cut Tarleton's 14-point halftime spread to 12 points, 30-19. However, UT Tyler wasn't able to score again in the quarter, surrendering a 16-0 run over the final nine minutes. Tarleton pushed the lead to 30 points with the opening score of the fourth quarter, and the Patriots never got closer than 24 points the rest of the way.
How It Happened: UT Tyler grabbed an early lead when Kylea Johnson scored 5 straight points for a 5-2 lead in the opening minutes. The Texans reeled off eight straight points to regain the lead for good, although Aubree Adams snapped the run with her first points of the game before Carah Burdette knocked down a trey which kept UT Tyler within 6, 16-10, after the first quarter. Lilli Stewart and Kelsey Crouse each hit a three-pointer in the second quarter, but those were the only points for the Patriots in the 10-minute period, sending UT Tyler into halftime facing a 30-16 deficit.
Tarleton scored 18 straight after UT Tyler scored the opening points of the second half, extending the lead to 48-18. The closest the Patriots got the rest of the way was 24 points, following a 6-0 run midway through the fourth quarter. Adams hit a pair of free throws, and Crouse scored back-to-back layups to cut the lead to 48-24.
UT Tyler Standouts: Kelsey Crouse scored a team-high 11 points, her fourth time in double figures this season, while Kylea Johnson was the Patriots' next-highest scorer with 5 points. Crouse also led the team in rebounds with 5, and Lilli Stewart led UT Tyler's defensive effort with a team-high 2 steals.
Tarleton Standouts: Mackenzie Hailey scored a game-high 15 points with 5 rebounds and a game-high 3 steals to lead the Texans. Marissa Escamilla made 5-of-7 shots from the field to finish with 11 points, and she grabbed a game-high 6 rebounds.
By The Numbers: Tarleton forced 25 UT Tyler turnovers, leading to a 25-6 advantage in points off turnovers… The Texans shot better overall in the game, but UT Tyler finished slightly ahead in three-point percentage despite an 0-for-10 clip after halftime… Tarleton shot over 50 percent on two-point field goal attempts, making 18-of-35, although the Texans' 20 percent (4-for-20) clip from long range dragged the overall field goal percentage down to 40 percent (22-for-55)… UT Tyler shot 25 percent (11-for-44) overall, including a 22 percent (4-for-18) clip from three-point range… The Patriots were a perfect 4-for-4 on free throws… Tarleton posted a 39-29 edge in rebounds, helping to create an 18-4 advantage in second chance points.
What's Next: UT Tyler wraps up its first Lone Star Conference road trip with a Saturday, Dec. 21 visit to Texas Woman's University. The Patriots return to action at home after New Year's, hosting divisional games on Jan. 2 against Midwestern State and Jan. 4 against Cameron.
