TYLER, Texas -- After a pair of postponements and two exhibition games in December, UT Tyler finally got its season underway on the second day of the New Year, as defending Lone Star Conference champion Lubbock Christian University raced to a 73-26 victory over the Patriots Saturday.
Lubbock Christian had three players finish in double figures, led by Allie Schulte's game-high 15 points, and UT Tyler was led by Shala Robinson, who registered 8 points and a game-high 3 steals.
With the defeat, UT Tyler is 0-1 to start the 2020-21 campaign, while Lubbock Christian improves to 3-0 as the teams square off again on Sunday, Jan. 3, at 3:00 p.m.
Turning Point: After Lubbock Christian built a 16-2 lead after the opening quarter, the Lady Chaps broke the game open with a 21-3 run to start the second quarter to build a 37-5 advantage heading into the final minute of the second quarter.
How It Happened: Lubbock Christian started the game with an 11-0 run and kept UT Tyler scoreless until the final minute of the opening quarter, when Shequana Jackson scored the first Patriot points with a short jumper in the lane with 44 seconds left in the quarter. The Lady Chaps added 5 more to close out the quarter with a 16-2 lead, and they scored 21 of the next 24 points to extend the lead to 37-5 with less than a minute remaining in the second quarter. Shala Robinson scored four points in the final minute, but LCU headed into halftime holding a commanding 39-9 margin.
In the third quarter, UT Tyler scored 5 of its 7 points from the free throw line, and the Patriots got a 10-point fourth quarter behind 4 points each in the final quarter from Inessa Pugh and Niah Richard.
UT Tyler Standouts: Shala Robinson scored a team-high 8 points to go with 3 steals for the Patriots, and Niah Richard and Inessa Pugh added 6 points each. Richard was also UT Tyler's leading rebounder, grabbing 6 boards while collecting 3 steals and a pair of assists.
Lubbock Christian Standouts: Allie Schulte tallied game-highs of 15 points and 7 rebounds, leading the way for a balanced effort from the Lady Chaps. Two others joined her in double figures with Savannah Sumrall providing a 12-point effort off the bench while Emma Middleton finished with 10 points.
By The Numbers: Lubbock Christian made at least 2 three-pointers in each of the four quarters, finishing the game with 11 threes while hitting 38 percent (11-for-29) from deep… Both teams combined for 44 turnovers, with LCU committing 20 while UT Tyler finished with 24… LCU shot 49 percent (28-for-57) overall, while UT Tyler shot 17 percent (8-for-46) on the game.
What's Next: UT Tyler hosts Lubbock Christian again Sunday afternoon (3:00 p.m.) to wrap up the two-game Lone Star Conference weekend series against the defending conference champs.
