LONGVIEW, Texas -- LeTourneau men's basketball made it four straight wins in the team's 95-67 Friday night victory over Texas Lutheran inside Solheim Arena.

The YellowJackets continued their stretch of impressive defense, holding the Bulldogs to a season-low 67 points on 20-of-50 shooting from the field. The lockdown performance also marked the third straight game in which LeTourneau has held opponents below 70 points.

Cooper Smith caught fire in the second half, leading to his electric night of 17 points and career-high 11 boards. Jackson Mayes followed with a team-high 22 points to accompany six rebounds, and Teigan Edwards provided 14, five rebounds, and four assists.

The opening sequence to the game saw a back-and-forth swing of momentum. Edwards put the YellowJackets on the board first with a left-wing 3-pointer, but the Bulldogs would quickly answer with a bucket inside. Max Frels followed by notching his first two of nine points on the night via a backdoor layup, but Texas Lutheran once again returned the score on the ensuing possession. 

Semaj Edwards would convert a fastbreak layup to give the Bulldogs (8-8, 3-4 SCAC) their first lead of the game at the 17:11 mark, but Mayes mirrored the bucket to give the YellowJackets a lead they would not relinquish.

Things quickly got out of hand for Texas Lutheran, as LeTourneau extended its lead to double digits in less than five minutes. The YellowJackets continued to pour it on, jumping the lead to 32-12 at the 6:03 mark.

LeTourneau's suffocating defense held the Bulldogs to just 20 points in the first half, on just six made baskets. 

Not much changed after the break, as the YellowJackets were still proficient on both ends of the floor. LeTourneau's lead held in the mid-20's for the majority of the contest, getting as high as 31 with 2:32 on the clock.

This win continues LeTourneau's success in the SCAC, moving to 11-5 on the season. The YellowJackets are 6-1 in conference play, holding a strong lead in the Blue Division.

UP NEXT

The YellowJackets have a marquee matchup on Tuesday night, hosting Concordia Texas at 5:30 p.m. The Tornados are undefeated in SCAC play. 

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