LeTourneau University – Sports

 

LeTourneau Men’s Basketball Bows Out In First Round Of ASC Tournament.

RICHARDSON, Texas – An 18-5 run by Hardin-Simmons University five minutes into the game would be too much for the LeTourneau University men’s basketball team to overcome in a 110-101 loss in the quarterfinal round of the 2019 American Southwest Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday, February 21 at the UTD Activity Center in Richardson, Texas.

LETU concludes their 2019 season with a 17-8 overall record while the Cowboys move on to tomorrow evening’s ASC Tournament Semifinal round with a 16-10 overall record.

How It Happened:

Playing in the first of four quarterfinal round games, the YellowJackets and Cowboys would waste little time getting off to a quick start as the two teams would trade the first 20 points of the game to put the score at 10-10 with 16:57 left in the first half.
HSU would then use an 11-2 run over the next 2:29 of game action to force an early LeTourneau timeout as the Cowboys would hold a 21-12 lead.

A Christian Seidl trey would stop the bleeding and pull LeTourneau back within six at 21-15 with 13:48 remaining in the opening period, but Hardin-Simmons would go on a 14-2 run to push their lead to 35-17 10 minutes into the game.

Out of a timeout, HSU would score four more points to take their largest lead of the contest at 39-17 and put LeTourneau in one of their most massive deficits of the season before seeing the YellowJackets responded with seven straight points to try and flip momentum.

LeTourneau would continue to battle throughout the first half and would cut the once 22-point deficit down to 10 at 45-35 but would be unable to get any closer in the final minutes of the opening 20-minute period as a 61.1 percent shooting performance from HSU would give the Cowboys a 58-45 lead.

It would be a quick start for LETU to open the second half as a 7-0 run capped off by a pair of Seidl free throws would get the YellowJackets within six at 58-52 but would once again see Hardin-Simmons keep LeTourneau from cutting the deficit any further.

The HSU lead would remain in the seven to the 10-point range as the Cowboys would have an answer for every LeTourneau bucket which would prevent the YellowJackets from threatening to take the lead throughout the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

With LeTourneau trailing 82-71, LETU would score six straight points to cut the deficit to just five at 82-77 with 8:12 remaining in the game before HSU would respond with an 8-2 run to go back up ten at 89-79 with only under seven minutes remaining.

A Javaughn Dantzler triple, with 4:54 remaining, would be the last big push by LETU to try and make things interesting down the stretch by cutting the deficit down to six at 93-87. Hardin-Simmons would respond with a three of their own and outscore the YellowJackets 17-14 in the final minutes as LeTourneau would be unable to get stops when they needed them most.

Key Stats:

Both teams would end up shooting over 50 percent from the field in the game as the Cowboys would finish just shy of 60 percent at 59.7 percent (40-of-67) while the YellowJackets finished 38-for-73 from the field (52.1 percent).

Free throw shooting would be a problem for LETU throughout as a 13-for-23 performance (56.5 percent) from the charity stripe would be negative points given away in addition to 60 points for Hardin-Simmons in the paint.

Finishing his collegiate career with a 25-point, eight rebound performance, senior Caleb Loggins would lead the YellowJackets in scoring and rebounding while Dantzler scored a career-high 20 points in the game.

 

 

LeTourneau Softball Win Streak Snapped In Doubleheader Losses At Texas-Tyler.

TYLER, Texas – Coming off five-straight wins to start the season, the LeTourneau University softball team faced their toughest task thus far in a doubleheader against the reigning American Southwest Conference champions as they fell in both games to the University of Texas-Tyler on Wednesday, February 20th.

LETU falls to 5-2 on the season while the Patriots remain undefeated as they move to a perfect 7-0. The games do not count towards American Southwest Conference standings as the two teams were not scheduled to play in a conference series this year. It is the final year for the Patriots in the ASC as Texas-Tyler is in the first year of NCAA Division II reclassification.

Game one:

Leigh Luker would get the nod for her fourth start in the circle for the YellowJackets as she gave up one run off two hits in the opening inning of play. The Patriots would use one more hit in the bottom of the second to extend their lead to 2-0. With the score remaining at 2-0 in favor of the Patriots, Kennedi Dillow would reach base to start the top of the fourth off a Patriot error before a Macey Mize double would bring her home. Following a walk and a bunt-single, Hana Bonner would put her team on top with a two-RBI double to the right-field wall. Ashley Crawford would bring another run across with a single through the left side and fellow freshman Emilee Anderson would extend the lead to 5-2 before a strikeout would end the inning. UTT would then respond with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth until and eventually take the lead in the fifth by scoring eight runs off four hits. Dillow would put some life into the LETU offense as she brought in Anderson off a single to left center in the top of the seventh and keep the LETU rally going. A one-out bases-loaded walk would be the final run of the game for the YellowJackets before the Patriots defense would cut the comeback short ending the game with a double play and taking game one by an 11-7 tally.

Samantha Akers would take her first loss of the season in the circle for the YellowJackets as she gave up four runs in one inning of work. The Patriots out-hit LETU 11-8 while also committing two errors, as the LETU defense would turn in an error-free game. Bonner and Dillow would both record two hits for the YellowJackets while four others would add to the total with one single each.

Game two:

The YellowJackets would leave one runner stranded in the top of the first after Ethel Warren reached on a leadoff walk. With Freshman Bailey Richey in the circle for LETU, the Patriots would use three doubles in the top of the first to grab a 2-0 lead. Following a three-up, three-down top of the second inning from the YellowJackets, Texas-Tyler kept their foot on the pedal and scored 15 runs off 13 hits, and one LETU error as the YellowJackets would try four different pitchers to stop the rally. UTT would add to their total with an RBI in the fourth inning to make it 18-0 before Bonner would get LeTourneau on the board in the top of the fifth with a solo home run over the right-center field fence. The game would end after five innings as the early surge by Texas-Tyler would finish the game with LETU trailing 18-1.

Richey took the loss for LETU, giving up eight runs in one inning of work. Bonner and Taylor Nichols would be the only two YellowJackets to record hits in the contest. Whitney Romero took the win for the Patriots, giving up single in four innings of work.

What’s Next?

LETU will return to conference action this weekend with a three-game series against Concordia Texas beginning with a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader scheduled for Friday, February 26 The Tornados will enter the series with a 4-5 overall record and a 1-2 standing in the ASC. If weather forces any schedule changes to this weekend’s series, www.letuathetics.com will post the announcement.

 

 

LeTourneau Baseball Takes 7-3 Road Win At Centenary

SHREVEPORT, La. – Taking advantage of a four-run third inning and standout pitching effort, the LeTourneau University baseball team would take a 7-3 road victory over Centenary College at Shehee Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana on Wednesday, February 20.

LETU earns their first win over Centenary since April 26th, 2012 and wins their third straight to move to 3-4 overall while the Gents now sit at 3-6 overall.

How It Happened:

After stranding a runner in the top of the first inning, the YellowJackets would see Centenary take advantage of a leadoff single and LeTourneau error in the bottom half of the first to score the first run of the game and take a 1-0 lead.

A scoreless second inning would keep the score at 1-0 heading to the third where LeTourneau would put leadoff batter Josh Raies on first following a Centenary throwing error.

After two quick outs, Cody Lee would get the YellowJackets on the board with an RBI single and Brandon Ramirez hit-by-pitch to put two runners on before Bryce Brueggemeyer would connect on a no-doubt home run to left field to put LETU up 4-1.

The score would remain 4-1 until the top of the sixth when Jacob Jones would get aboard after getting hit-by-pitch and steal second when pinch-hitter Weston McKinley would come through with an RBI single.

LeTourneau would then avoid jams in the bottom of the sixth and seventh to keep Centenary from cutting into the YellowJacket lead and would then add one more insurance run in the top of the seventh as Jones would hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Noah Mahoney.
The Gents would attempt to make things interesting in the bottom of the ninth by scoring two runs on two hits and taking advantage of two LETU errors but would be unable to overcome the early push from LeTourneau.

Key Stats:

Pitching would come up big for the YellowJackets all night, as six pitchers would combine on the victory while allowing just seven hits and one earned run.

Jacob Steinman would earn his first collegiate victory after tossing two innings and allowing one hit as no LETU pitcher would throw more than three innings.

Mahoney and Raies would lead LeTourneau with two hits each while Brueggemeyer would drive in a game-high three runs and score twice.

What’s Next?

As previously announced on Wednesday afternoon, LeTourneau’s home series scheduled for this weekend against Hardin-Simmons University will now be in Abilene due to wet field conditions and more expected rain slated to hit Longview this weekend. LETU will now play a Saturday-Sunday series against the Cowboys and will be the home team in all three games despite the games taking place on the campus of HSU. Game one is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday evening, with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader to follow on Sunday.

Matt Kinney
Sports Information Director
Office: 903-233-3735
Cell: 903-736-7669
MattKinney@letu.edu
www.letuathletics.com