STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State Women’s Basketball got back to its winning ways on Thursday night at the EECU Center, starting its three-game homestand with an 81-55 victory over the second-place Southern Utah Thunderbirds.
Behind a season-high 54.8% shooting, Tarleton State led from the start and never looked back. The Texans have now won six straight games against the Thunderbirds
All five starters for the Texans scored in double figures for the third time this season, led by senior guard Gia Adams with a game-high 20 points. Freshman center Elodie Lutbert recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds. She is the first freshman in the Division I era and since 2010-11 to have four double-doubles in a season (Kiara Wright, 4).
Junior forward Shadasia Brackens added 11 points while senior guards Jakoriah Long and Kyriana Jones added 10 points each. Junior forward Tessa Engelman scored eight points to go with eight rebounds off the bench.
“Nights like tonight are what make coaching fun, but not just because we won. It’s because of the effort and I thought the effort was there from the first quarter until the final buzzer,” head coach Bill Brock said. “When you’re playing at home, you need to get off to a good start and I thought our kids did that tonight.”
Following Adams’ basket while drawing the foul, a 3-pointer from Long allowed the Texans to go out in front by six to start the game. Southern Utah made it a one-point game early in the first quarter, but back-to-back baskets from Brackens allowed the Texans to get back on track. The Texans forced Southern Utah into just one made basket in its final seven shot attempts of the first quarter to take a 23-14 lead.
Two baskets from Adams and a bank shot from junior guard Caroline Lyles allowed the Texans to keep the momentum with a double-digit lead in the second quarter. Southern Utah answered with back-to-back buckets to make it a nine-point game before Adams answered with a pull-up jumper.
After Adams got the offense rolling, it was Jones’ turn in the senior spotlight. The Little Rock, Arkansas, native dished out an assist before knocking down two consecutive 3-pointers for Tarleton State’s biggest advantage of the first half. The Texans finished the second quarter shooting 53.8% to take a 13-point lead at halftime.
Two baskets from Brackens and a layup from Long kept the Texans out in front by a comfortable margin, with Long’s 3-pointer putting Tarleton State up by 20. The Texans prevented the Thunderbirds from bringing any offensive thunder, holding Southern Utah to 29.4% shooting in the third quarter.
The Texans countered Southern Utah’s comeback attempt by making three of its final four shots to end the third quarter. Tarleton State converted 10 of its 18 shots to start the second half to go up by 20 entering the final period.
Southern Utah began the fourth quarter with a basket while drawing the foul, but the Texans responded with a 6-0 scoring run to go up by 25. The Texans held Southern Utah to just one made basket in the final four minutes of play to ease their way to victory.
Tarleton State continues its homestand at the EECU Center on Saturday with a 1 p.m. matchup against Utah Tech. Tickets start at just $9 and can be purchased at TarletonSports.com/Tickets. Students receive free admission to all Tarleton State home events.
Postgame Notes
- Tarleton State defeated Southern Utah 81-55 on Thursday night at the EECU Center. This was the Texans’ first home game of the 2026 calendar year.
- Tarleton State now has a 6-2 record against Southern Utah. The Texans have won six straight games against the Thunderbirds.
- Freshman center Elodie Lutbert recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds. She is the first freshman in the Division I era and the first since 2010-11 to have four double-doubles in a single season (Kiara Wright, 4).
- Lutbert’s 14 rebounds marked a new career-high. Her 14 rebounds are the fifth-most in a single game in the Division I era.
- Senior guard Gia Adams had her fifth 20-point game of the season, leading all scorers with 20 points. It is the second straight season Tarleton State has had a player tally five 20-point games (Arieona Rosborough).
- All five starters scored in double figures, combining for 67 of Tarleton State’s 81 points. It is the third time this season all five starters have scored at least 10 points each.
- The Texans shot a season-best 54.8% from the floor on Thursday night. It is the highest shooting performance from the Texans since Nov. 6, 2023 (59.2% vs. Howard Payne).
- Junior forward Tessa Engelman matched a season-high eight rebounds to go with eight points off the bench. It was her highest scoring game since Nov. 7 (11 vs. Arkansas State).
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