DENTON, Texas -- UT Tyler lost its third straight game Saturday afternoon, falling to Texas Woman's University by a score of 65-49 ahead of a 12-day break from action.

Kelsey Crouse was the Patriots' leading scorer for the second straight game, scoring 12 points while dishing out a game-high 5 assists, and true freshman Lilli Stewart scored 11 points as she moved into the starting lineup and played a season-high 32 minutes.

With the defeat, UT Tyler dropped to 2-7 overall and 0-5 in Lone Star Conference play, while Texas Woman's improved to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

Turning Point: Shortly after Beezy Birchette and Aubree Adams hit consecutive three-pointers to start the second half, slashing a 9-point halftime deficit to a three-point spread, 26-23, Texas Woman's scored 15 of the next 17 points and outscored the Patriots by a 17-4 margin over the final 7:01 of the third quarter to take a 43-27 lead at the end of the quarter. The Patriots never got closer than 14 points until the final two minutes of the game.

How It Happened: UT Tyler grabbed the early lead to start the game, as Kylea Johnson drilled a three-pointer on her team's opening possession, and a Miranda Villegas three with 3:06 left in the quarter pushed the Patriots back in front, 11-10. However, Texas Woman's took the lead for good at that point, closing the first quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 21-13 lead.

After a low-scoring second quarter pushed the halftime margin to 26-17, Birchette and Adams hit consecutive three-pointers to start the third quarter and make it a three-point game, 26-23. The Pioneers responded with the game-turning 17-4 run over the final 7:01 of the third quarter, and they led by as many as 20 points, 52-32, midway through the fourth quarter. Over the next three minutes, Lilli Stewart and Tyreesha Blaylock each hit a pair of three-pointers to cut the Pioneer lead to 58-46 with 1:32 to play. Kelsey Crouse converted a three-point play with 1:09 to play, making it a 10-point game, 59-49, but Texas Woman's scored the final six points to pull away for the 65-49 win.

UT Tyler Standouts: Kelsey Crouse scored a team-high 12 points, her fifth time in double figures and second-highest scoring total this season, and Lilli Stewart joined her in double figures with 11 points, which was also her second-best scoring effort this year. Stewart hit 3-of-8 three-pointers, and she grabbed a team-high 6 rebounds along with a pair of steals.

Texas Woman's Standouts: Carissa Moody led all scorers with 18 points along with game-highs of 6 rebounds and 3 steals, and Ngozi Obineke added 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals off the bench for the Pioneers.

By The Numbers: After hitting 2-of-12 three-pointers in the first half, UT Tyler heated up from long range after halftime to knock down 7-of-14 (50 percent) three-pointers… Texas Woman's generated an 18-1 edge in points off turnovers, taking advantage of 22 Patriot turnovers while the Pioneers committed 9… TWU also won the rebounding battle, 37-32, helping generate a 14-6 edge in second chance points… The Pioneers also posted a 36-12 advantage in points in the paint… TWU shot 39 percent (25-for-64) overall and 11 percent (2-for-18) from three-point range… UT Tyler shot 37 percent (16-for-43) overall and 35 percent (9-for-26) from beyond the arc.

What's Next: UT Tyler has an 11-day break until returning to Lone Star Conference play after the New Year, when the Patriots host Midwestern State on Thursday, Jan. 2, and Cameron University on Saturday, Jan. 4.