Texans have best defensive performance in a decade with rout of UT Tyler

STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton women’s basketball won in a way they haven’t done since 2009 in the best defensive performance in a decade.

The Texans pounded UT Tyler 61-30 – the fewest points allowed by the Texans since they topped Concordia 109-29 in 2009.

Tarleton picked up its first Lone Star Conference victory of the season in the process, snapping a two-game losing skid and improving to 6-4 overall and 1-3 in the LSC.

Mackenzie Hailey scored a game-high 15 points and passed Shelby Adamson for fifth place on the all-time scoring list with 1,557 career points.

The Texans shot 40 percent for the game while holding the Patriots (2-6, 0-4) to 25 percent from the floor. The Texan defense forced UT Tyler into a season-high 25 turnovers, which translated into 25 points.

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In the opening quarter, Tarleton went on an 8-0 run to take a 10-5 lead and never let up. The Texans led 16-10 after the first.

Jasmine Bailey scored her first career points as her 3-pointer put the Texans up by 11 for a double-digit lead in the second quarter. The Texans never saw their lead fall below 10 the rest of the way as they outscored the Patriots 14-6 in the second quarter and led 30-16 at halftime.

Tarleton had its best defensive quarter of the season as they limited the Patriots to just two points on a pair of free throws to open the third quarter. The Texans scored the next 16 points over the next nine minutes while holding the Patriots to without a field goal the entire third quarter.
The Texans built their largest lead of the game at 33 with three minutes left in the game.

Marissa Escamilla joined Hailey as the only Texans in double figures, as the sophomore posted 11 points off the bench with a team-leading six rebounds.

Lucy Benson (7 points), Kandyn Faurie (6), and Kylie Collins (5) helped the Texan starters combine for 33 points and outscore the entire Patriots team.

The Texan bench produced 28 points, led by Escamilla. Jayci Morton posted five points, Callie Boyles (3), Jasmine Bailey (3), Erin Brumley (2), Madison Cawley (2) and Amber Strange (2) rounded out the scoring efforts. It was Strange’s first career points in her first basketball game as the multi-sport athlete transitioned over from playing volleyball for the Texans.

Tarleton will take on No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday, December 21 at 2 p.m. in WisdomGym.

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