AUSTIN, Texas – Led by three players with double-digit scoring numbers, the Concordia Texas women's basketball team earned a dominant win, taking down Howard Payne 71-57 at home on Thursday.
 
Kennedy Donovan posted the high mark with 14 points on 2-of-5 shooting from deep, while Erin Toro totaled 12 points and seven rebounds and Natalie Velardez ended the night with 11 points and six rebounds.
 
The Tornados gained an early advantage and never looked back, taking a 3-2 lead in the opening two minutes and holding it until the final buzzer.
 
Velardez knocked down CTX's first basket of the game, a three-pointer following an assist from Havyn Perez, giving the Tornados their initial 3-2 lead with 8:24 remaining in the opening quarter. The junior guard supplied seven of her 11 points in the quarter and helped Concordia Texas build an early advantage.
 
Falyn Taylor and Mikayla Johnson added a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter, and a strong finish inside from Allese Crutcher capped off the period, giving the Tornados a 17-7 lead heading into the second quarter.
 
Crutcher opened the second quarter with another basket in the paint, and another three-pointer off the hand of Donovan extended the CTX lead out to 23-14 with 6:45 left to play in the half.
 
Toro knocked down a pair of mid-range jumpers along with a three-ball from Allie Garza, and Perez added four points in the quarter to keep the Tornados' lead intact. At the halftime break, the Tornados took a 36-28 lead into the locker room.
 
In the third quarter, CTX ripped off a 15-4 run capped off by a jumper from Taylor, bringing the score to 51-32 with 5:03 remaining in the period.
 
Garza and Toro went a combined 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute of the quarter, pushing the Tornados' advantage to 59-43 heading into the closing period.
 
Donovan's third three-pointer of the game stretched the CTX lead to 63-45 at the 5:06 mark, but HPU answered with a 12-2 run, cutting the Tornados' advantage to single digits at 65-57 with 1:25 on the clock.
 
In the final minute and a half, Donovan converted a fast break bucket and Garza hit three big shots from the charity stripe, icing the game and securing a 71-57 victory for the Tornados.
 
Donovan provided seven points, half of her total number, in the final quarter, taking control down the stretch and ensuring the Tornados' lead would hold.
 
Garza ended the night with nine points, getting to the stripe and shooting 6-of-8 on free throws, and Perez posted eight points to go along with two steals and two blocks on the defensive end.
 
Concordia Texas will continue their home stand on Saturday as they look to win back-to-back games in an ASC matchup with Sul Ross State at 1 p.m. in Concordia Fieldhouse.