Above photo of Arieona Rosborough, who had 22 points in UMHB’s win on Thursday night, by Luke Zayas/True To The Cru
BELTON, Texas-A dominant offensive effort extended UMHB women’s basketball’s winning streak to six games on Thursday night, as the Crusaders raced out to a 53-15 lead at the half and never let up, defeating LeTourneau, 98-46.
It improves UMHB’s record to 6-1 overall and a perfect 2-0 in American Southwest Conference action.
The Crusaders established themselves as an offensive force within their first six games, but against the Yellowjackets, who entered with a 2-6 overall mark, UMHB also displayed a level of consistency not seen in Saturday’s conference-opening victory at Concordia. The Cru outscored LETU in all four quarters, including 33-10 in the second, as UMHB pulled away heading into halftime.
The high rate of offensive success was complemented by a total of 30 forced turnovers on the defensive end, leading to 37 points. It also created opportunities for the Crusaders in transition, as UMHB maintained a quick pace when moving up the court, especially in the opening half. The Cru scored 23 fast-break points in the victory.
Immediately out of the gate, UMHB established its lead, taking a 9-0 advantage with Arieona Rosborough responsible for seven of those points. On the defensive end, the hosts held LETU scoreless for the first 4:17, before Mariana Espinosa put the Yellowjackets on the board with a 3-pointer at the 5:43 mark.
The defensive intensity was noticeably present, especially in the opening minutes, with LETU shooting just 1-of-9 from the field in the first quarter. By the time the second quarter began, UMHB held a 20-5 lead.
Just under three minutes into the second, Ella Hartmann sparked a key scoring spurt for UMHB, connecting on a 3-pointer that extended the advantage to 33-9. And that was just beginning. The Crusaders scored 20 of the game’s next 26 points, leading to a 38-point halftime lead.
Even as UMHB head coach Katie Novak-Lenoir went more to her bench in the second half, the Crusaders kept the rhythm intact, shooting 46.8 percent over the final 20 minutes, and outscored LETU, 45-31.
Rosborough paced the offensive attack, with 22 points, and Lauren Baker (12 points) and Jaycie Brisco (11 points) also finished in double figures in points. Seven different players tallied at least seven points in the victory.
Game Notes
- UMHB eclipsed the 90-point mark for the second time this season, having scored 99 in last week’s non-conference win over Schreiner.
- This marks the first time the Crusaders have scored 90 or more points in at least two games during a season since the 2019-20 campaign. During that season, it took UMHB 26 games to accomplish that feat.
- The Crusaders shot 48.6 percent from the field in Thursday’s win, marking UMHB’s highest shooting percentage in a game this season.
- UMHB has shot above 40 percent in three of its seven games this season.
- Rosborough’s 22-point effort marks the third-straight game in which the junior guard has scored 20 points, as she had 22 against Schreiner and 20 in the win at Concordia.
- Rosborough leads the team in scoring, now averaging 17.3 points per game.
- UMHB’s 20 steals in the victory also are a season-high for The Cru, and ranks third all-time in program history for steals in a single game.
- This is the second consecutive season in which UMHB has recorded at least 20 steals in a win over LeTourneau.
Up Next
UMHB has a quick turnaround, hosting East Texas Baptist on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Belton. ETBU comes into the game with a 2-7 overall record after dropping Thursday’s duel at Concordia, 56-51.
However, the Tigers defeated nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons last Saturday, and are a tough out despite the sub-.500 record. ETBU’s leading scorer is former Crusader Payton Hicks, who averages 11.4 points per game for the Tigers.
