STEPHENVILLE – In Bill Brock’s first game at the helm of Tarleton State Women’s Basketball, he already saw his team make history.
The Texans (1-0) beat the Yellow Jackets by 68 points at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville on Monday night, posting their largest season-opening win in program history with 106-38 the final. They surpassed the 2004-05 team’s 67-point season-opening victory (101-34) against Hillsdale FW Baptist, a Texan group led by Ronnie Hearne. This year’s team won by 68 by scoring their most points in nearly 10 years.
Six Texans scored in double figures, as everything went right for the Purple and White in the season opener. They outshot the Yellow Jackets 59.2 percent 16.9 percent, outrebounded them 52-33, and forced 25 turnovers to 15 giveaways. Tarleton scored 38 points off of those turnovers while allowing just four, and outscored Howard Payne in the paint 52-10.
Ball movement was prevalent throughout the game for Tarleton, who finished with 34 assists on 42 field goal makes. That marks their most assists in a game since also dishing 34 against Arlington Baptist on Dec. 18, 2017, and their 106 points are their most in a game since scoring 114 against Texas College on Jan. 2, 2014.
Teresa Da Silva led the onslaught with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, six steals, four assists, three rebounds and two blocks. Elise Turrubiates just missed out on a double-doubles, totaling 16 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting, nine rebounds and five assists. Tyler Jackson (6-6 FG) was also perfect from the field, tallying 13 points, four assists and three rebounds. Andjela Bigovic notched 11 points (5-10 FG), six rebounds, five assists and two blocks in her Texan debut.
Off the bench, Karyn Sanford led the reserves with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, to go with four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Jakoriah Long had 10 points.
All 12 of Tarleton’s available players saw the floor on Monday.
Before the game started, the Texans honored the late Whitney Vaughan-Christopher, an incoming freshman who had signed on to be a team manager. In August, on her drive home from Tarleton State orientation, a car crash caused this community and the Lago Vista community a terrible and shocking loss. The Texans hosted her family to help honor and celebrate her life, presenting them with a jersey and hosting a prayer circle after the game.
As for the game itself, the Texans opened with a 16-0 burst in four minutes, making their first seven shots, not missing a field goal until halfway through the opening frame. They finished 11-of-19 (.579) from the field to Howard Payne’s 1-of-18 (.060) clip to lead 28-9 after one.
In the second, Tarleton withstood the Yellow Jackets’ strongest quarter by shooting an identical 11-of-19 clip, leading by as many as 33 late before breaking to the locker room up 56-24.
Tarleton outscored Howard Payne 26-5 in the third, this time shooting 11-of-17 (.647) to HPU’s 2-of-17 (.118). The Texans entered the fourth up 82-29.
The Texans hit the century mark on a Lexi Bull layup with 2:38 to play, capping off their 68-point win with a pair of Miannah Little free throws.
Howard Payne was led by Taysie Trejo’s 13 points. Asia Mitchell joined her in double figures with 10 points and five rebounds.
Tarleton will now switch their focus from an NCAA Division III opponent to one in the NCAA Division I’s Power Five. The Texans will head to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech on Friday at 7 p.m. That game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now and ESPN+, along with Tarleton Sports Network.
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