ABILENE, Texas -- UT Tyler officially got the 2020-21 season underway with its exhibition opener Tuesday night at Abilene Christian, falling to the NCAA Division I opponent by an 81-26 tally.
Abilene Christian scored its first 24 points of the game from beyond the three-point line, and ACU set its program-record with 19 three-pointers made in the game.
For UT Tyler, it was the Patriots' first competitive contest of the year, although as an exhibition game, it will not count towards the Patriots' 2020-21 overall record.
Quotable (UT Tyler head coach Jeannette Mosher): "It was great to see our team back on the court. This exhibition game, along with our upcoming exhibition Saturday (at Stephen F. Austin) will identify some strengths and weaknesses. We saw some good things, and of course, we saw some things we need to work on. We are a young team that looked young, but we are also a young team that wants to grow up fast."
Turning Point: Abilene Christian scored its first 24 points of the game from the three-point line, hitting 8-of-14 threes in the opening 10 minutes to race out to a 26-7 lead after the first quarter.
How It Happened: After withstanding Abilene Christian's early three-point shooting performance, UT Tyler held the Wildcats to 13 points in the second quarter as Abilene Christian built a 39-14 halftime edge. Abilene Christian added four three-pointers in each of the third and fourth quarters to extend the lead to the final margin of victory. UT Tyler scored seven points in each of the first three quarters before finishing the fourth quarter with five points for a final 26-point team scoring performance.
UT Tyler Standouts: Shequana Jackson led UT Tyler in scoring and rebounding with 7 points and a game-high 7 rebounds, while Kelsey Crouse and Azaria Reed added 5 points each for the Patriots.
Abilene Christian Standouts: Nine different players made at least one three-pointer for ACU, as the Wildcats finished 19-for-46 (41 percent) from beyond the arc. Makayla Mabry and Anna McLeod led the way with a game-high 11 points each, while Katie Horyna came off the bench to add 10 points with a game-high 6 assists for the Wildcats.
By The Numbers: Kelsey Crouse and Josephine Elliott each made a three-pointer for UT Tyler… The Patriots shot 19 percent (9-for-47) from the field in the game, although UT Tyler finished 6-of-10 from the free throw line… Abilene Christian shot 48 percent overall (30-for-63), including a 41 percent clip (19-for-46) on three-pointers… The Wildcats attempted just three free throws, going 2-for-3 at the line.
What's Next: UT Tyler is back on the road for another exhibition game against an NCAA Division I opponent when the Patriots visit Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, Dec. 19.
