IRVING, Texas -- LeTourneau University women's basketball team passed its first test with flying colors Tuesday night, beating the University of Dallas, 82-41, in the season opener. It was the second straight year the YellowJackets won the season opener.
LeTourneau, which will host the University of St. Thomas 2 p.m. Sunday, never trailed. The YellowJackets shot 46.5 percent from the field, going 33 of 71. Dallas was held to just nine field goals in 44 attempts, shooting 20.5 percent. The Jackets went 9 of 29 from three-point range. The Crusaders were 5 of 18.
LETU outscored the host Crusaders, 18-5, in the first quarter to set the tone. The Jackets opened a 9-0 lead on a bucket by
Vanessa Cruz at the 6:44 mark.
Scruffy Hopkins canned a three-pointer with under a minute to go in the period to bump the lead to 16-4. LeTourneau pushed its lead to 36-7 when
Micayla Mikulski scored in the paint with 3:02 left in the first half. Dallas scored the final two baskets of the second period, and LETU led by 24 at the break.
Cruz scored 10 of her 15 points in the first half.
Keauna Whitfield had eight of her 11 in the first two quaraters.
The Jackets extended their lead to 32 midway through the third period on a basket in the paint by Cruz.
Bailey Lightfoot scored at the 3:26 mark to put LeTourneau up, 49-16. Following a pair of Dallas free throws,
Madison Mayfield knocked down a jumper in the paint to give LETU a 51-20 lead. Gracie Williams hit a triple as the Crusaders cut the deficit to 53-27 early in the fourth quarter. Lightfoot buried a three in transition, and
Flora Akingbade split a pair from the free throw line to keep the Jackets ahead by 28.
Williams canned another triple to make it a 25-point game before Whitfield converted a fastbreak layup. Beyonce Perry sank two free throws as Dallas cut it to 25 again, but
Ty Moon scored on two straight possessions, the second in transition after she came away with a steal, to push the YellowJackets back out to a 33-point advantage.
Ti'Erra Lee hit a three and converted a three-point play, and
Deshundria Charles scored on a fastbreak as LeTourneau ran away with it down the stretch.
Cruz shot 6 of 9 from the floor, and had four assists and four rebounds. Lightfoot finished with 13 points. Whitfield added four rebounds and three steals. Akingbade had seven boards, five points and a block. Moon had eight points. Mikulski had six points, five rebounds and two steals.
The YellowJackets outscored the Crusaders, 44-6, in the paint. LeTourneau outscored Dallas, 20-0, in transition. LETU outscored UD, 29-6, in points off turnovers. The Jackets outscored the Crusaders, 17-1, in second chance points. LeTourneau's bench outscored Dallas, 32-8, including a 23-2 edge in the fourth period.
LETU outrebounded Dallas, 45-31.
