KINGSVILLE, Texas -- Texas A&M-Kingsville knocked down 7 three-pointers in the first quarter to jump out to a big early lead in as 70-51 win over UT Tyler Saturday afternoon.

The Javelinas opened the game with a 20-5 run and led by a 26-9 margin after the opening quarter, although the Patriots climbed back to within 7, 29-22, with a 13-3 run to start the second quarter. Texas A&M-Kingsville restored the lead to an 18-point cushion by halftime and maintained a lead of at least 15 points throughout the entire second half.

Kelsey Crouse led the Patriots in scoring with 12 points, and Taylor Jackson and Shequana Jackson combined to grab 17 rebounds as UT Tyler generated a 43-35 rebounding edge.

Turning Point: Texas A&M-Kingsville scored its first 18 points from beyond the 3-point line, and Jayde Tschritter hit 5 of the Javelinas' first 6 threes as her fifth triple resulted in an 18-5 lead less than six minutes into the game.

How It Happened: After Texas A&M-Kingsville opened the game with 7 first-quarter treys, Tyreesha Blaylock opened the second quarter with a three-pointer which sparked a 13-3 run for UT Tyler. Lauren Cortinas also hit a three-pointer during the run, and Kayla James capped it with a three-point play that trimmed the Javelinas' lead to 29-22 with 6:51 left in the second quarter.

However, the Javelinas held the Patriots without a field goal the rest of the second quarter, finishing the period with three more three-pointers and a 13-2 run to take a 42-24 halftime lead. After the Javelinas extended the lead by outscoring UT Tyler, 12-5, in the third quarter, the Patriots finished the contest with a 22-point scoring outburst in the fourth quarter. They closed the gap to 13 points with just over three minutes left in regulation after Kelsey Crouse made a pair of free throws. Crouse scored 9 of her 12 points in the final quarter.

UT Tyler Standouts: Kelsey Crouse was the Patriots' leading scorer, finishing with 12 points along with 3 steals, and Kayla James dished out a team-high 5 assists. Shequana Jackson grabbed a game-high 9 rebounds, and Taylor Jackson pulled down 8 boards to lead UT Tyler to a 43-35 rebounding edge.

Texas A&M-Kingsville Standouts: Jayde Tschritter made 5 first-quarter three-pointers and finished with a game-high 18 points, all on three-pointers. Janessa Payne added 15 points, also all from three-point range, and Annelise Dominguez added 14 points off the bench for the Javelinas. Mia Rivers added 7 points along with a game-high 9 assists.

By The Numbers: UT Tyler shot 29 percent (17-for-59) overall, including a 21 percent (4-for-19) clip from three-point range… Texas A&M-Kingsville shot 40 percent (23-for-57) overall and 43 percent (15-fof-35) from deep… The Javelinas made 11-of-18 first-half threes before going 4-of-17 from distance after halftime… UT Tyler posted a 10-6 edge in second chance points and a 26-19 margin in bench scoring.