AUSTIN, Texas – Behind a dominant defensive effort and 21 points from Jaela Dejean, the Concordia Texas women's basketball team earned their third straight win, knocking off Howard Payne 56-44 Saturday at Concordia Fieldhouse.
 
The Tornados held HPU to just 28.3 percent from the floor and 15.0 percent from three and led for almost the entire game as they moved to 10-10, 6-6 in the American Southwest Conference.
 
Dejean, a senior out of Houston, has scored at least 20 points in three of her last four games and five times this season. She also added five rebounds and five steals in the win.
 
The first quarter was a back and forth affair, with neither team leading by more than five points as CTX took a 15-13 lead into the second.
 
After the Yellow Jackets tied the game at 15, the Tornados went on an 11-0 run and never looked back.
 
Howard Payne was able to cut the lead down to five with 7:21 left in the third quarter, but CTX responded with an 18-1 run to close out the quarter to hold a 47-25 lead.
 
Mercedes Ellison had a productive game for the Tornados, scoring 13 points and adding eight rebounds and four steals. Payton Berger, Sara Perez and Kaycie Dunkerley all had eight boards as well and helped CTX out-rebound HPU 46-34.
 
As a team, the Tornados held the Yellow Jackets to just six points in both the second and third quarters.
 
CTX will look to extend their winning streak at 5:30 on Thursday against Hardin-Simmons at Concordia Fieldhouse.