JACKSON, Miss. -- LeTourneau University men's basketball team handled its business Thursday night, beating host Millsaps, 90-66, in the season opener.

Freshman John Argue scored 26 points on 9 of 17 shooting, and grabbed six rebounds in his college debut. Junior guard Justin Moore added 16 points, eight boards, three steals and three assists in a game the YellowJackets shot 42 percent from the field. 

"The guys were focused tonight from the start of the game," coach Dan Miller said. "We know Millsaps is a very good team who can score at a high level, so I was proud of the way the guys defended."

LETU limited the Majors (1-1) to 37 percent shooting, including a 6 of 24 effort from beyond the three-point line. 

Millsaps took a 20-17 lead at the 11:39 mark in the first half when Kalvin Spikes scored on a layup. Kyle Matthews knocked down a jumper in the paint, and Argue converted a layup as the Jackets reclaimed the lead. After the Majors tied it twice on its next two possessions, Moore hit a jumper, Argue added a basket and Moore buried a three with 6:51 to go in the half to stake the YellowJackets to a five-point advantage. Millsaps cut it to three on Newlon Gillihan's lay-in at the 5:14 mark, but Moore canned another triple on the next trip down to the floor to push the lead back to six. 

Argue hit one of his four triples, and Moore scored in transition as LeTourneau extended its lead to 15 with a little over three minutes remaining in the first half. The Majors whittled it down to nine on two other occasions before Nate West hit a pair of field goals in the last minute to send the YellowJackets into the break up, 51-38.

LETU was 21 of 44 from the floor in the first half. Millsaps shot 15 of 34. 

Warren Richardson threw down a dunk on a fastbreak 5:20 into the second half as the Jackets increased the lead to 60-41. West scored in the paint, Richardson came up with a steal and another transition dunk, and Argue buried another triple as LeTourneau widened its lead to 26. Spikes hit a layup with 8:30 remaining as the Majors cut the gap to 19 before Richardson, who finished with 14 points on 7 of 13 shooting, answered at the other end.

Millsaps then went on an 8-0 run to trim LETU's lead down to 13, but Richardson responded again, scoring on a second chance opportunity after he pulled down an offensive rebound. West sank two free throws, and hit a triple as the Jackets put it away.

West had 13 points, eight assists, five boards and two steals, despite picking up four fouls. Brick Fosnight had six rebounds, two steals and four points. Andrew Eberhardt added six points and four rebounds. No one for Millsaps scored in double figures.

The Jackets outscored the Majors in the paint, 50-32.

"We got excellent step up minutes by Rashard Johnson, Kyle  and other guards when Nate got in foul trouble," Miller said. "Justin was locked in as his role of being an outstanding sixth man, and John had a great college debut."

The YellowJackets will meet Benedictine (Ill.) 5 p.m. Saturday at the Rhodes Tip-Off Tournament in Memphis.

"We always want the guys to enjoy winning," Miller said, "but then we have to shift quickly to refocus for some excellent teams this weekend in Memphis."