BOX SCORE
Austin, Texas – Shamika Singleton scored a game-high 18 points, including 14 in the second half, as the Concordia University Texas women's basketball team rallied to defeat East Texas Baptist, 70-56, in the American Southwest Conference opener for both schools on Saturday, Nov. 27 at the Ornelas Gymnasium. First-year head coach Rusty Rainbolt, who only returns five letterwinners from last year's roster, earned his first career victory on the sidelines.
Concordia (1-1, ASC 1-0) found itself trailing for most of the first half, but the squad was only down by one point at the break, 35-34, after rattling off six straight to close out the frame. Christen McLee grabbed two offensive rebounds and scored points during the late run.
The Tornados carried over that momentum into the second half as Singleton converted two straight layups to put the visitors ahead by a 38-35 score. However, East Texas Baptist (0-2, 0-1 ASC) responded and found themselves ahead, 43-41, with under 15 minutes to play on a made jump shot by Emily Leek-Roberson.
Concordia continued to fight back as it did the entire first half and embarked on a 17-2 run to break the game open and take a 58-45 lead. A 3-pointer by Julia Bellquist with 13:57 on the clock put her team ahead for good after Lashanda Luckey started the rally with a layup. The duo combined for 12 points during the stretch, giving the Tornados all the insurance they needed to pull out the victory.
Singleton, one of 13 newcomers on Concordia's roster, posted her first double-double by grabbing 13 rebounds to go along with 18 points. McLee contributed 10 points and four rebounds off the bench, while Dominique Mayberry and Bellquist chipped in eight points and three assists apiece. Luckey tallied nine points, as Concordia's reserves outscored East Texas Baptist's by a 38-13 clip. The Tigers were led by Ashley Featherston, who just missed a double-double with 17 points and nine boards.
Concordia continues ASC play when UT-Tyler visits the Concordia Field House on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m.
