The LeTourneau men's basketball bench outscored its Sul Ross State counterparts, 47-10 to spark the host YellowJackets to a 71-54 win over the Lobos on Saturday in Longview.

LeTourneau (5-10, 3-7 ASC) entered the contest, averaging 28.1 points from its bench before the contest. Jared Hunter (11 points), C.J. Edwards (10 points) and Trey Dennis (7 points) accounted for 28 of the 47 for LETU. The 47 points are a season-high for the YellowJackets. Starters freshman Kelby Schimming had eight points and four rebounds and junior Giovanny Thompson had five points and seven rebounds.
 
14-different YellowJackets contributed to the 71 points and 15 provided a rebound as LETU outrebounded SRSU, 45-33 in the win. Schimming made a layup and Edwards hit a 3 pointer to spark a 12-2 run early in the first half that put the YellowJackets ahead for the rest of the contest.
 
Sul Ross State (2-12, 2-7 ASC) were led by the double double from Alex Harrison, who had a game-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. He was joined in double digits by Rocky Feliciano, who added 13.
 
An aggressive LETU defense held the Lobos to just 36.4% shooting from the field which made for a happy first year LETU head coach Dan Miller. "I was pleased with the way that we defended tonight," said Miller. "The guys talked on defense and played good team defense."
 
With a 15-point lead in the second half, 41-26, LeTourneau went to reserve Trey Dennis – who was averaging 6.5 minutes in eight games – for a boost from the bench. The rookie from Port Arthur did just that with seven points and five rebounds in the final 14 minutes of the contest. "Trey gave us a real big spark tonight to extend our lead," said Miller. With Dennis in the game, the YellowJackets stretched the lead to as much as 21.
 
The YellowJackets will have another quick turnaround when they host East Texas Baptist at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. At halftime of the game, LETU will host the Whataburger Challenge, the two schools will have five contestants representing each institution in a jalapeño eating contest. The winning school will receive $500 for a designated charity and the opportunity to win Whataburger for a year. Should LeTourneau win the contest, $500 will be presented to the Longview Boys & Girls Club, should East Texas Baptist win the contest, $500 will be presented to Mission Marshall. A contestant on the winning team will also have the chance to win Whataburger for a Year. Individuals from LeTourneau wanting to represent the YellowJackets are to report to the athletic department offices by 3 p.m. on Tuesday.