TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler used a mid-game surge to take a third-quarter lead against defending Division II women's basketball national champion Lubbock Christian, but the Patriots' comeback bid was answered by the Lady Chaparrals, who pulled away for a 73-55 victory Saturday.
Kelsey Crouse led all scorers with a season-high 19 points, but her efforts were matched by a pair of 19-point efforts from LCU's Maddi Chitsey and Ashton Duncan as four players reached double figures for Lubbock Christian.
With the loss, UT Tyler fell to 3-16 overall and 1-14 in Lone Star Conference play, while Lubbock Christian improved to 17-3 overall and 11-3 in the LSC.
Turning Point: After falling behind by a 26-13 margin midway through the second quarter, Lilli Stewart nailed a three-pointer which sparked the Patriots on a 22-7 run over the final three minutes of the second quarter combined with the first 2:37 of the third quarter. UT Tyler scored 10 of the final 12 points in the second quarter to go into halftime facing a 28-23 deficit, and Miranda Villegas hit a three-pointer on the opening possession of the third quarter as the Patriots scored 12 of the first 17 after halftime to take a 35-33 lead with 7:23 left in the third quarter. Although LCU scored nine straight points to get the lead back, UT Tyler answered with seven straight on consecutive Carah Burdette jumpers followed by a three-point play from Crouse to tie the game at 42-42 with 3:22 remaining in the third quarter.
How It Happened: Lubbock Christian opened the game with a 14-2 run, scoring its first 12 on four Ashton Duncan three-pointers before Maddi Chitsey made a layup inside. Aubree Adams scored a pair of midrange jumpers in the closing minutes of the first quarter, trimming the LCU lead to 16-6 after the opening period.
Another Chitsey layup pushed the Lady Chaps' lead to 26-13 with 3:42 remaining in the second quarter, but Lilli Stewart's three-point sparked a 10-2 run over the final three minutes of the half to cut the halftime margin to 28-23. The Patriots resumed their rally after halftime, opening the third quarter with a 12-5 run as Kelsey Crouse tied the game at 33-33 with a three-point play before Beezy Birchette scored a layup to give UT Tyler a 35-33 lead with 7:23 remaining in the third quarter.
Lubbock Christian went back up by seven with a 9-0 run, which was promptly answered by the Patriots with seven straight to tie the score again at 42-42 with 3:22 left in the third. Chitsey broke the tie with a three-point play, sparking LCU to score nine of the final 10 points of the third quarter to take a 51-43 edge into the fourth quarter. A Carah Burdette three-pointer with 8:05 left in the game cut the lead to 53-48, but the Lady Chaparrals closed out the game with a 20-7 run to produce the final 73-55 margin.
UT Tyler Standouts: Kelsey Crouse scored a game-high and season-high 19 points, hitting 7-of-12 from the field including a three-pointer while passing out a team-high 5 assists along with 3 blocks. Carah Burdette was one point off her season-high, finishing with 10 points including 8 points in the second half. Aubree Adams finished with 6 points and a game-high 8 rebounds, and Miranda Villegas and Tyreesha Blaylock each registered a pair of steals.
Lubbock Christian Standouts: Ashton Duncan's early three-point barrage sparked a 19-point effort, as she finished the game 6-of-8 from three-point range, while Maddi Chitsey shared the scoring lead with 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor. Caitlyn Cunyus scored 15 points with 5 assists, and Allie Schulte added 11 points plus game-highs of 6 assists and 4 steals for LCU.
By The Numbers: The teams tied in total rebounds, 30-30… Lubbock Christian forced UT Tyler into 16 turnovers, with 10 of them on steals, and the Lady Chaps converted them into a 20-7 edge in points off turnovers… LCU also generated a 38-24 margin in points in the paint and an 8-3 advantage in second chance points… UT Tyler's bench produced 19 points to just 7 points for LCU's reserves… For the game, Lubbock Christian shot 50 percent (29-for-58) from the field, including a 36 percent (9-for-25) three-point efficiency… UT Tyler shot 43 percent (21-for-49) and 29 percent (4-for-14) from three-point range.
What's Next: UT Tyler plays a single game next week against its closest Lone Star Conference rival, visiting Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday, Feb. 8.
