LeTourneau University Athletics

LeTourneau trailed by as many as 17 in the first half but the YellowJackets used a season-high 16 steals to spark a comeback over the visiting Cowgirls and improve to 4-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play. LETU used 18 second chance points and an amazing 37 points off turnovers to surge past HSU.
 
Crystal Jones led all scorers with 19 points and swiped six steals in her 37 minutes. The senior guard was named the ASC East Division Player of the Week after a 23-point performance against McMurry. This was the second consecutive Player of the Week nod for Jones.
 
LaTanya Drakes struggled with foul trouble but was able to stay on the floor down the stretch in the second half to push the YellowJackets over the Cowgirls. Drakes scored all 14 of her points after the break and pulled down nine rebounds.
 
"I am very proud of the fight and control our team displayed tonight. Hardin Simmons jumped out on us early, but we really pulled together and worked our way back into the game," said head coach Leslie Reinecker after the win. "We controlled the boards and I was particularly happy with our composure down the stretch."
 
The Cowgirls jumped out to a quick 13-4 lead before the first quarter media timeout. A Taylor Gaffney three-point field goal would push the lead to 13 at the end of the period.
 
The HSU lead would swell to 17 early in the second quarter before the YellowJackets scored 11 unanswered points punctuated by a Jada Roberts layup to cut the lead to 27-33 with 3:13 remaining. Roberts scored a season-high nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor and had three steals. LETU trailed at the break 31-38.
 
The YellowJackets continued their comeback in the third quarter as they used a 6-0 run to start the period to cut the lead to one with a Crystal Jones fast break layup.
 
The fourth quarter was back and forth with six lead changes as the two teams traded baskets. LeTourneau got a huge three-point field goal from LaTanya Drakes with 1:38 remaining to push the lead to four. The YellowJackets would sink free throws late in the game to complete the comeback and take the hard-fought win.
 
Bria Goodman also poured in nine of her own including a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Goodman added four assists and two steals.
 
Shaquicia Johnson did a little bit of everything for the YellowJackets as she grabbed six rebounds to go along with five points, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Paige Demery and Ashley Crockett added eight and seven points, respectively.
 
LeTourneau will return to Solheim Arena on Friday afternoon for a non-conference tilt with Millsaps College who comes in with a 4-3 record and two game win streak. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on Friday.