SHERMAN, Texas --The Howard Payne University women's basketball team took a 53-52 advantage into the fourth quarter, but could not hang on and fell 73-68 to the Austin Kangaroos on the road Tuesday.
The Lady Jackets (1-5) had two players score in double figures, led by Jazlyn Braithwaite, who had 20 points and six steals. Taysie Trejo added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven steals and Caitlyn Panuco added seven points and nine rebounds.
Led by Trejo's three offensive rebounds, Howard Payne did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 10 boards that resulted in 10 second chance points.
The Howard Payne defense caused its share of mistakes in Tuesday's game, forcing 20 Austin turnovers while committing 17. Those takeaways turned into 22 points on the offensive end of the floor. Trejo's seven steals led the way individually for the Lady Jackets.
How It Happened
Howard Payne struggled out of the gate, falling behind 18-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The Lady Jackets fought back in the second period, narrowing the deficit to 35-29 by the time halftime rolled around.
Following halftime, Howard Payne kept the Kangaroos from growing their lead before going on an 8-0 run to grab a 41-39 lead with 6:45 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Kangaroos had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Lady Jackets still entered the fourth quarter with a 53-52 edge. Howard Payne played well near the basket, scoring 14 of its 24 points in the paint.
Austin then erased the Howard Payne lead in the game's final quarter for a 73-68 comeback victory. Howard Payne took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 15 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Lady Jackets got seven steals from Taysie Trejo and six more from Jazlyn Braithwaite.
» The Howard Payne defense forced 20 turnovers.
» Howard Payne cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Jazlyn Braithwaite led the Lady Jackets with a game-high 20 points.
» Howard Payne got a team-high nine rebounds from Caitlyn Panuco.
The Lady Jackets will play next on Tuesday at 12:00 noon at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.
