The LeTourneau University women's basketball team dropped a 63-59 decision to host Belhaven University on Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi.
 
The YellowJackets (14-9) were held to 27.5% (19-for-69) shooting from the field. Despite the loss, junior LaTanya Drakes (11 points, 11 rebounds) and senior Ashley Stephens (12 points, 10 rebounds) each had a double double to lead LeTourneau. Crystal Jones scored a team-high 15 to lead LeTourneau.
 
The Blazers (7-16) shot 42.9% from the field in the win as they led from start to finish. The 42.9% effort is the second-highest effort on the season for Belhaven. Sierra Pittman led Belhaven with a game-high 23 points – 11 of which came from the free-throw line.
 
When LETU junior guard Alexandria Burroughs tied the game at 4 with 6:48 left in the opening quarter, Belhaven outscored LETU by an 11-1 margin for the rest of the opening quarter for a 15-5 lead after the first 10 minutes. The Blazers remained in front for the rest of the game, building a lead as large as 19 in the early moments of the second half.
 
A resilient LeTourneau squad cut the deficit to two, 54-52 when junior Jada Roberts made a jumper with 2:38 left in the game. Belhaven scored three unanswered points to stretch the lead to five, but the YellowJackets still had a fight in them. With :21 left, Jones hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two, 61-59 but Pittman sealed the win and made a pair of free throws to seal the win.
 
Next, the YellowJackets will wrap up the home portion of its schedule when they host UT Dallas on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m. and Ozarks on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m.