Hailey’s double-double lifts Texans to win over Colorado Mesa

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STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton Women’s Basketball moved to 2-0 and swept the Texan Tip-Off Classic after a 57-53 win over Colorado Mesa in Wisdom Gym.

The Texans were led by Mackenzie Hailey, who posted her first double-double of the season and 27th of her career with 20 points and 13 rebounds – both were game highs. Hailey is now five points away from tying her head coach Misty Wilson for seventh on the all-time scoring list with 1,440 points.

It was a big win in the young season for the Texans against the Mavericks of Colorado Mesa with both teams having advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament last season and Mesa being a regional host with a 27-4 record in 2018-19. Mesa is receiving votes in the WBCA preseason poll to start the year.

Tarleton jumped out to a big first-quarter lead for the second straight game, going up 19-10 through one period. It started with a 9-0 run to open the game where Hailey scored six of the points and Kylie Collins added a 3-pointer. Collins was a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor while draining a pair of 3-pointers for nine points. The Texans had a 14-point lead in the first quarter after Kandyn Faurie’s layup to make it 19-5.

Colorado Mesa outscored the Texans 18-13 in the second quarter but when the game got to within four points at 27-23, the Texans went on a 5-0 run in the final minute of the half including three points off the bench from Marissa Escamilla during the stretch. Tarleton led 38-28 at the break.

Escamilla had a career game for the Texans, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine rebounds – both of which are career highs for the sophomore. Escamilla had eight points in the first half to help the Texans build their early lead. Of Escamilla’s nine rebounds, four were on the offensive end, which led to her getting to the free-throw line where she went 6-of-8 to lead the team.

Colorado Mesa went on a 10-0 run at the end of the second quarter and start of the third to take a 33-32 lead over the Texans. From there, the Texans flipped the momentum with an 11-0 run to go up by double digits at 43-33 with 2 minutes left in the third quarter.

The game got tight with three minutes left, as Tarleton led by one, 49-48. Although they didn’t make a field goal in the final minutes, the Texans went 6-of-8 at the free-throw line down the stretch as part of an 8-5 run to clinch the win. Tarleton went 21-of-28 at the free throw line for the game.

The Texans had four players post four points: Lucy Benson, who added five rebounds and a tied a career high with four steals; Kaitlyn Guillory; Kandyn Faurie; and Callie Boyles. Alexa Hoy added two points.

Tarleton will take on East Central on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 5:30 p.m. in Wisdom Gym.


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