DENTON, Texas (Nov. 11, 2023) – For the first time since the 2008-09 season, the Texas Woman's basketball has started the season 5-0.
 
TWU (5-0) won their fifth straight game on Saturday afternoon, defeating MSU Denver (0-2) 66-36 in KMA.
 
Building upon their 19-point win over Western Colorado on Friday night, the Pioneers excelled on Saturday, recording their largest margin of victory in their second wire-to-wire win of the season.
 
"I am proud of how our team came out today with energy and focus," TWU Basketball Head Coach Beth Jillson said. "We committed to being strong on defense and improving our three point threat, and I am proud of our team for being great on both ends of the floor today. Everyone was locked in on the court and on the bench. Today was a total team effort. We are excited to stay home and be back in KMA on Thursday night for another great opportunity."
 
The Pioneers played lockdown defense throughout the entire game, as the Roadrunners were held to their lowest point production of the season at 36. In the first half alone, TWU held MSU Denver to just 12 total points – eight in the first quarter and four in the second quarter. The four points in the second quarter matched the lowest quarter score of a TWU opponent in a year, as the Pioneers held Western Colorado to four points in a quarter exactly one year ago today.
 
In the win, the Pioneers were led on offense once again by Leila Patel with 17 points. Patel shot 6-8 from the field and a perfect 3-3 from the three point line to lead TWU. Four Pioneers in total finished in double-digits. Joining Patel was Ashley Ingram with 14 points, Jada Celsur with 13 points and Scout Huffman with 11 points.
 
Celsur played an all-around great game for TWU, leading the Pioneers in steals with a season high four in the win. Celsur's four steals helped guide TWU to a season-high 10 steals in the game.
 
While the Pioneers recorded 10 steals and forced 20 turnovers, TWU protected the ball, recording a season low six turnovers in the win.
 
TWU also won the rebounding category with 40 boards in the 40 minutes of action. Huffman led the Pioneers in rebounds with a season high seven, while Ingram and Celsur both added five each.
 
Against the Roadrunners in their scoring frenzy, TWU finished with 32 points in the paint and 24 points off turnovers. They also shot a season high 41.2% from the three.
 
With the home crowd energy cheering them on, Ariyanna Hines opened the scoring for the second night in a row for the Pioneers with a jumper. Patel quickly responded with a three pointer to give TWU the early 5-0 lead, and the Pioneers never looked back from there.
 
Despite going on a four minute scoring drought, the Pioneers locked down on defense to also limit the scoring of the Roadrunners, who scored with 8:25 on the clock and then would not score again until the 4:02 mark. TWU would lead by as much as seven in the first quarter, 13-6, after a layup by Gionna Carr with 30 seconds left in the quarter. A quick Roadrunners' basket would end the first, but TWU would head into the second quarter with a five point advantage, 13-8.
 
In the second quarter, TWU scored seven straight points to quickly take a double-digit lead 20-8. With 47 seconds remaining in the half, Hines would give the Pioneers their largest lead of the first half at 19, 31-12, off a jumper after the assist by Caroline Glud Rasmussen.
 
TWU returned from the 15-minute halftime break with the same winning energy as the first half. A jump shot in transition from Celsur increased the Pioneers' lead to 21, 35-14, for the first time in the game. With 6:37 on the clock, a Huffman layup would give TWU their largest lead of the third quarter at 23, 37-14. The Pioneers would continue the defensive pressure and offensive success throughout the third quarter.

Ingram closed the quarter with a layup to keep TWU's lead at 20, 48-28, heading into the final quarter of action.
 
The crowd went wild to start the fourth quarter, as Patel scored a basket in the first eight seconds of action to go ahead by 22, 50-28.
 
At the 6:05 mark, Ingram would connect on her second three of the season off an assist by Carr to ignite the crowd once again and increase TWU's lead to 26, 58-32.
 
The Pioneers would lead by 29 twice in the fourth – first after a made triple by Celsur with two minutes remaining, 63-34, and the second following a Carr layup with 1:44 left in the game, 65-36.
 
With 52 seconds on the clock, Hadyn Collie made a free throw to score her first points as a Pioneer and give TWU their largest lead of the game at 30, 66-36, and seal the win.
 
Following the conclusion of the conference challenge, Patel, who averaged 18.5 points per game, shot 72.2% from the field, 71.4% from the three and 100% from the free throw line in the two games, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Joining her on the all-tournament team was Ingram, who averaged 15 points per game and shot 44.4% from the field.
 
TWU will be back in action on Thursday, Nov. 16 in a nonconference meeting with Colorado School of Mines in KMA at 6 p.m.