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MEN’S BASKETBALL
LeTourneau started the second half with an 18-2 run to overpower UT Dallas, 94-83, on Saturday afternoon at Solheim Arena. It was the ninth consecutive win for the YellowJackets who improve to 13-4 overall and 7-3 in conference play.
The 13 wins are the most under head coach Dan Miller and the most since the 2008-09 campaign. The nine-game winning streak is the longest since the 1986-87 season when the YellowJackets won 10 straight games.
Freshman Nate West was a catalyst to the comeback as he scored 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. West scored the first eight points of the YellowJackets run. The Strake Jesuit product hit five long-range field goals in the final period in the fourth 20-point performance of his young career.
“UT Dallas executed at a high-level in the first half and we were late on some things reacting defensively. Jeff had a big shot to end the half and the guys came out the second half and played at a high-level,” said Dan Miller.
Alec Colhoff was 3-7 from three-point range and scored 19 points to go along with seven rebounds. Caleb Loggins was also in double-figures in another effective effort converting on 4-5 shooting from the floor and 3-3 from the free throw line, scoring 11 points. Loggins also grabbed nine boards.
Jeff Martin notched his fourth double-double performance of the season as he dished out ten assists to pair with 16 points. Martin is ranked third in Division III with 107 assists on the year.
The Comets jumped out to an early 11-6 lead and would lead by as many as 12 in the first half. LETU couldn’t slow the UT Dallas offense that shot 6-9 from behind the arc and assisted on 11 of 16 baskets.
The YellowJackets would respond in the second half outscoring UTD 58-40 and shooting 54.1 percent from the floor, including 9-17 from three-point range. LETU led by as many as 16 in the final half as a Nate West jumper put LeTourneau up 85-69 with 4:28 remaining.
“We shared the ball and found the hot hand throughout the second half. Our team energy was high that second half, and we need to have 40 minutes of that next time out,” said Miller. “Very proud of the guys that we have, to just keep working and getting a little better every day.”
LETU will look to extend their win streak next Thursday, January 19th with a road matchup with Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. The Blazers will enter the game with a 2-12 overall record and do not have an ASC record as they have provisional status for Division III and are ineligible for conference championship contention. Tipoff is 7:30 on Thursday at Heidelberg Gymnasium.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
LaTanya Drakes
LeTourneau couldn’t overcome a hot-shooting UT Dallas squad as they fell 47-79 on Saturday afternoon at Solheim Arena.
The Comets came into Longview with a 12-2 overall record and improve to a perfect 8-0 in conference play after the win. UTD holds the top spot in the ASC East Division; now tied for second are LETU and UT-Tyler.
The YellowJackets (8-9, 6-4 ASC) couldn’t find the range as they shot just 2-14 from behind the arc and 31.7 percent from the field.
LaTanya Drakes<http://www.letuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3364> led LeTourneau with her 12th double-double of the season. The senior from Gardena, California scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Jaila Leaven<http://www.letuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3368> gave the YellowJackets a second quarter spark as she scored eight of her 10 points in the period. Leaven was 2-3 from three-point range and the only LETU player to hit from behind the arc.
Crystal Jones<http://www.letuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3367> also scored in double figures but was held well below her average finishing with 10 points. It was the second-lowest scoring performance for the ASC’s leading scorer. Jones also pulled down six rebounds.
The Comets shot 48.4 percent from the floor and 47.1 percent from three-point range. The YellowJackets were forced into 20 turnovers in the game and were out-rebounded 41-36.
The LeTourneau women will hit the road next week for a matchup with Belhaven on Thursday in Jackson, Mississippi. The Blazers come in with a 10-5 overall record and do not have an ASC record as they have provisional status for Division III and are ineligible for conference championship contention. Tipoff is 5:30 on Thursday at Heidelberg Gymnasium.
[elhaven University (Miss.) logo] Next Game:at Belhaven University (Miss.)
1/19/2017 – 5:30 p.m.
* FULL SCHEDULE<http://www.letuathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=womensbasketball>
* ROSTER<http://www.letuathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=womensbasketball>