BELTON, Texas – The LETU men's basketball team fell in frustrating fashion, 91-86, in overtime against No. 19 UMBH at the Mayborn Campus Center Saturday.
Futility at the charity stripe was one of the factors in the YellowJackets dropping from the ranks of the unbeatens. They have one loss in nine contests, including five American Southwest Conference tilts. The Crusaders improved to 7-1 overall and pulling even in the league standing at 4-1.
Warren Richardson paced LETU with his fourth double-double of the season, totaling 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Both teams were on both ends of huge swings in a tilt that featured five ties and the lead swapping sides 13 times. Each side mustered such a momentum shift in the overtime period.
Jordan Pride drained a triple with just under three minutes remaining in the extra time, expanding LETU's margin out to six at 86-80. The YellowJackets appeared poised to pull away, notching 10 of the first 14 points. UMHB had the final answer, tallying the last 11, while LETU went missed three from the floor and two at the line, while turning the ball over three times. The Crusaders sank seven of their 10 free throws in bonus time.
Neither contingent created much separation in the open 20 minutes of action. LETU's largest advantage was at 8-2, with just 3:05 off the clock. A 15-4 spurt by the Cru marked their greatest margin with 10:52 until intermission.
Elijah Gerber's jumper in the paint put the YellowJackets out front, 35-34, with 1:19 to go in the opening period, until Richardson's dunk with 8:17 left in regulation. This is the first time LETU trailed at the half this campaign.
Richardson handed his team a 40-39 edge with a triple 1:04 into the stanza. UMHB responded by rattling off 14 of the next 16 points, including 11 in succession, grabbing its largest margin at 11 with 14:20 to go.
Andrew Eberhardt stopped the bleeding with five straight and a jumper in the paint cut the deficit to 53-49. A YellowJacket miscue gave a pair back. Following a timeout, Richardson drained a jumper, before
Christian Adams sank a pair at the stripe and getting the deficit down to one. The duo teamed up for an alley oop, with Richardson finishing at the rim and putting the guest out front.
The combatants logged in and traded buckets, preventing either from getting out by more than five. Deadlocked at 73 when
Deonte Jackson was fouled on a three-pointer with 1:43 left, he calmly stepped to the line and completed the four-point play.
Josiah Johnson, one of the top scorers in the nation, made it a two-point game with 1:18 to go. He missed a desperation triple at the buzzer after Richardson buried a jumper with 13 ticks left on the clock.
Jackson dropped in 23 points.
Jordan Pride notched 15 points, nine boards and four helpers. Eberhardt tallied 10, with five boards, four steals and a pair of assists.
Kyle Matthews dished out a team-
high five assists, with five points, five rebounds and two steals.
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