For the first time in 2014-15, the LeTourneau University women's basketball team is riding a three-game winning streak. To get to three games, it took an all-around team effort as the YellowJackets defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor, 79-75 in overtime on Saturday. To get to the win, it took the score being tied 13 times and 18 lead changes.

"This was another great team win today against a tough Mary Hardin-Baylor team," said LETU head coach Leslie Reinecker. "We really focused on the winning the battle on the boards as a key to this game and we did that." LeTourneau outrebound by seven, 46-39, in the win. "Our post players really stepped up defensively in owning the rebounds."
 
LeTourneau (7-14, 5-11 ASC) got scoring from 10 players and rebounding from 8 in the win. The top scorer for the YellowJackets was sophomore Ashley Reed, who had a game-high 17 points. Junior Ashley Stephens nearly had a double double with 16 points and nine rebounds. Senior Rebecca Stewart had nine points and 12 rebounds to go along with six assists for LETU.
 
Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-10, 7-9 ASC) was able to land three in double digits with 16 points from Alyssa Dean, Macy Moore (14) and Taylor Tucker (11).
 
Facing a seven-point deficit – 60-53 - with 3:23 to play, LeTourneau went on an 11-2 run to take a 64-62 lead with 17 seconds to play. In the run, five of the points came from Meagan Peters and four from Reed to spark the YellowJackets. With :13 left,  UMHB tied the game on two free throws by Macy Moore. Following an LETU turnover with seven seconds to play, a last-second chance by Dean came up short to send the contest to overtime.
 
In the extra session, the score was tied on three occasions. With the game tied at 70 and 1:44 to play, the game became an Ashley show for LeTourneau. Stephens made a lay-up to give LETU its second lead of overtime. Then, the Cru cut the deficit to one, 72-71, when Tucker made one of two free throws with 1:06 to play. Next, an attempt by UMHB to go ahead was called off when an offensive foul was called. Then, a UMHB player left the bench and a technical was called on the Cru. The YellowJackets extended its lead to three, 74-71 when Reed made both free throws on the technical. LeTourneau remained in front for the rest of the contest, despite UMHB cutting the deficit to two with :12 to play. Reed sealed the win, making a pair of free throws with :04 to play.
 
"I loved how our team battled through all of the obstacles we faced and found a way to finish the game with execution and composure," said Reinecker. The last win for LeTourneau women's basketball at home against UMHB was on December 1, 2011. Next, the YellowJackets will have its final two home games when they host UT Dallas on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. and Hardin-Simmons on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m.