The LeTourneau University women's basketball team ended 2014 with a 74-72 loss to Texas Lutheran in the final game of the UT Tyler Christmas Classic on Wednesday.

The YellowJackets (3-6) picked up a career-high 17 points from sophomore Meagan Peters, who made 11 of 12 free throws. She was joined in double digits by senior Rebecca Stewart, who had 11 points – 7 of which came in the first half. It is the fifth game in double for the senior from Stafford. For the ninth-straight game, LETU outrebounded its opponent. To go along with 17 points, Peters had eight rebounds and five assists.

The Bulldogs (5-5) landed three in double digits including Karisa Cantu, who scored a game-high 20 points. Taylor Dydalewicz and Bianca Casas joined them in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Texas Lutheran overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half for the win.

LeTourneau started the game on a 9-0 run before a TLU 14-5 run tied the game at 14 with 10:44 to play. The YellowJackets regained the lead when Peters made a layup with 8:46 remaining in the first half. LeTourneau led for most of the half by as much as eight on a pair of occasions en route to a 31-27 halftime lead.

With a four-point lead at the intermission, the YellowJacket defense held TLU to 24.1% (7-for-29) shooting, plus the YellowJackets had controlled the frontline with an 18-8 advantage in points in the paint and a 16-2 lead in bench scoring.

LeTourneau stretched the lead in the second half to 12, 45-33, when Stewart hit a 3 pointer with 15:58 to play. The Bulldogs failed to concede and eventually went on a 12-0 run, later in the half for a 60-58 lead with 5:07 to play. The lead went back and forth on three occasions until TLU went ahead 62-60 with 4:36 to play after a LETU technical foul.

With 13 seconds to play, LETU junior Ashley Stephens tied the game at 72 when she hit a jumper. Then, Cantu took the in-bounds pass and was fouled driving to the hoop with seven seconds to play. With the game tied, Cantu made both free throws and a last-second jumper by Stephens came up short for what proved to be the final margin. 

LeTourneau returns to the rigors of the American Southwest Conference play when it will travel to face University of Mary-Hardin Baylor on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m.