ELLENSBURG, WASH. – UT Tyler women's basketball opened its 2026-27 season with a 66-58 victory over Montana State Billings on Friday morning in the first game of the DII Tip-Off Classic, hosted by Central Washington at Nicholson Arena. The Patriots built a 19-point halftime advantage and withstood a second-half rally from the Yellowjackets to secure the season-opening win.
UT Tyler established control early, opening the contest with a three-pointer from Tylah Hooper before Polina Latysheva added a baseline jumper to put the Patriots ahead 5-0. After Montana State Billings answered with a three-pointer, Hayley Cumming connected from beyond the arc to extend the advantage to 8-3. The Patriots continued to find their rhythm offensively, with Georgia Tomkins finishing a layup off a pass from Edit Merivirta before Hooper knocked down her second three-pointer of the opening quarter.
The Patriots' defensive effort was equally impressive, limiting the Yellowjackets to just two made field goals on 16 attempts in the opening 10 minutes. UT Tyler shot 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-6 from three-point range to take a 17-7 lead into the second quarter.
Latysheva helped maintain the Patriots' momentum throughout the 2nd quarter, adding another layup before connecting from beyond the arc to make it a 26-15 contest. Vukcevic added a banked-in three-pointer, and Merivirta closed the first half with another three to send the Patriots into the break with a commanding 42-23 lead.
UT Tyler finished the opening half shooting 14-of-23 from the field and 7-of-10 from three-point range. The Patriots also forced nine turnovers while holding Montana State Billings to just seven made field goals on 26 attempts, including a 1-of-8 mark from beyond the arc. Latysheva led the way with nine points and five assists at the break, while the Patriots had contributions from across the lineup.
The Yellowjackets looked to cut into the deficit coming out of halftime, but the Patriots initially maintained their separation. Cumming converted a pair of free throws before Vukcevic finished inside following a great pass from Hooper to make it 46-25. Montana State Billings responded with a run of its own, however, putting together several consecutive defensive stops and capitalizing on the offensive end to work its way back into the contest.
Erinn Gardere ended a scoring drought with a pair of free throws, and Hooper followed with a jumper to keep the Patriots in front. Despite the response, Montana State Billings continued to find success around the basket and trimmed the margin to 52-39 entering the fourth quarter. The Yellowjackets outscored UT Tyler 16-10 in the third period, shooting 50 percent from the floor to create some momentum heading into the final 10 minutes.
Montana State Billings carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, using a pair of three-pointers and several finishes in the paint to put together a 17-4 run over the 3rd and 4th quarter portion. What had been a 19-point halftime advantage was trimmed to just four points at 56-52 with 5:40 remaining.
The Patriots responded when it mattered most. Following a UT Tyler timeout, Hooper found Tomkins for a layup to stop the Yellowjackets' run and restore some breathing room. Hooper then connected on her third three-pointer of the afternoon, pushing the lead back to nine at 61-52. Tomkins added a free throw to extend the Patriots' run, and the defense came up with important stops as Montana State Billings continued to look for a way back.
Latysheva delivered another important basket with just over a minute remaining, knocking down a jumper to make it a 64-54 game. Montana State Billings answered with a layup, but Gardere and Cumming each converted a free throw in the closing minute to help preserve the Patriots' advantage. The Yellowjackets added a final basket before the horn, but UT Tyler had done enough to secure the 66-58 victory.
Hooper led the Patriots with 12 points, knocking down three three-pointers while adding three assists. Latysheva finished with 11 points and a game-high six assists, while Vukcevic contributed 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range. Tomkins added nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, and Merivirta and Cumming each finished with eight points. Cumming also recorded a double-double on the glass, collecting a team-high 10 rebounds.
The Patriots finished the afternoon shooting 21-of-50 from the field and 8-of-18 from three-point range while converting 16 free throws. UT Tyler forced 16 turnovers and held Montana State Billings to 38.2 percent shooting from the floor. The Yellowjackets held a 36-24 advantage in rebounding, but the Patriots' early offensive production and timely execution down the stretch proved to be the difference.
UT Tyler will look to carry its season-opening momentum into the second day of the DII Tip-Off Classic when the Patriots take on No. 21 Western Washington on Saturday at 7 p.m. Central Time in Ellensburg, Washington.
