Solheim Arena has never been louder than it was on Friday night as a near-capacity crowd saw the YellowJackets defeat a talented Concordia Texas team 83-79 to advance to their first ever American Southwest Conference Finals appearance in program history.
 
LETU had five different players score in double figures as they used their defense and timely scoring to hold off the Tornados and notch their 22^nd victory of the season.
 
"That was a great college basketball game," said head coach Dan Miller after another historical win. "We want to thank all the fans for their support and our student section who was, once again, electric."
 
Jeff Martin led the way for the YellowJackets recording his second-consecutive double-double tournament performance. The senior guard poured in 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out six assists.
 
Sophomore C.J. Bird picked a perfect time to record a career-high 14 points as he sparked the LeTourneau offense midway through the first half and helped extend the lead going into the halftime break. Bird played just 14 minutes and was 7-of-10 from the floor in a crucial performance off the bench.
 
"I thought both teams battled for 40 minutes at a high level. I am really proud of our guys for holding off the Concordia runs and maintaining the lead throughout," said Miller. "CJ Bird provided a great spark tonight off the bench and finished strong down low."
 
Nate West continued to play at a high level scoring 19 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists. The freshman hit two critical and pressure-filled free throws in the final seconds to put the win on ice for the YellowJackets.
 
Alec Colhoff and Caleb Loggins each contributed 11 points. Loggins was a big presence defensively recording two blocks and using his versatility to guard the Tornado front and backcourt.
 
The YellowJackets held the ASC's leading three-point shooting team to just .214 percent (3-14) from behind-the-arc. The Tornados came into the game as the league's most potent offense at 97.6 points per contest. LETU held the Concordia (TX) to their lowest point total of the season.
 
CTX is a full-court pressure team that also lead the ASC in turnover margin at 4.48 per game. LeTourneau handled the press, giving up just 12 turnovers and forced the Tornados into 14.
 
LeTourneau stormed out to another quick lead as they used a 12-2 run in the first three minutes of the game. The Tornados chipped away at the lead and tied the game at 31 with 3:58 remaining in the half. Bird scored eight of his 14 points igniting a 13-4 run going into the break.
CTX cut the lead to two on multiple occasions but the YellowJackets never trailed in the second half. LETU held on in the final minutes as the home crowd backed their team and created a raucous environment in Solheim Arena.
 
"We now have to shift our attention to a very good Hardin-Simmons team lead by 7 seniors and the defending conference tournament champions," said Miller.
 
LETU will now face defending ASC champion and West Division No.1 seed Hardin-Simmons. The Cowboys are also ranked as the top team in the South Region. The YellowJackets lost the regular season matchup 65-69 on December 12^th. Tipoff is tabbed for 6 p.m. on Saturday at Solheim Arena.
 
You can find more information including live video and stat links for the championship game as well as postgame interviews, photos and recaps of all the tournament games here.