ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (Nov. 2, 2024) – For the fourth straight season, the Texas Woman's basketball team opened their season with a victory.

TWU (1-0) defeated Missouri Southern State (0-1) in their opening game of the 2024-25 season at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic, 72-67.

It marked the first win over the Lions in program history in three total meetings. The two teams had not met since the 1993-94 season.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Leila Patel led the Pioneers tonight with 16 points on 4-10 from the field, 2-3 from beyond the arc and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line.
• Ashley Ingram finished with her first double-double of the season, recording 11 points and 10 rebounds. She also added two steals and five assists in the win.
• Scout Huffman scored 11 points on 5-8 from the field. She also grabbed two steals and six rebounds on the night.
• Averee Kleinhans was the final Pioneer to score in double-digits, closing her 15 minutes of action with 10 points on 4-6 from the field and a perfect 2-2 from the free throw line. She also grabbed three rebounds in the win.
• Every Pioneer who entered the game scored a bucket and grabbed at least one rebound.
• Gabby Elliott, in her Pioneers' debut, finished with seven points and three rebounds.
• Kayla Glover returned to the floor after missing last year and finished the game with seven points, two steals, two assists and three rebounds.

PIONEER POWER MOMENTS

• The Pioneers recorded two 20-plus point quarters, scoring 22 in the first and 21 in the fourth. Defensively, they only gave up 11 points in the second quarter, but they allowed the Lions to close the fourth quarter with 24 total points.
• TWU's bench outscored MSSU's bench 28-13. Additionally, the Pioneers dominated in the paint, outscoring the Lions 34-20. TWU also took advantage of fast break opportunities, as they scored 15 points in fast break chances to the Lions' three.
• The Pioneers did give up 17 second chance points to MSSU and only scored three second chance points.
• TWU shot an impressive 52.1% from the field and held MSSU to shooting 33.3% from the field and 25.8% from the three point line.
• Jada Celsur would give TWU their first lead of the game at the 6:11 mark in the first quarter, 8-7. Thirty seconds later Elliott would increase TWU's lead with a made jumper to put the Pioneers ahead by three, 10-7.
• TWU would find their largest lead of the first quarter with 12 seconds remaining after two made free throws by Glover put the Pioneers up by 10, 22-12.
• In the second quarter, Patel and Huffman quickly pushed the lead to 13, 29-16, with back-to-back baskets. The Pioneers would hold the double-digit lead throughout the entirety of the second quarter. Their largest lead of the night would come with one minute remaining in the half off a made layup by Patel, 39-22, to give TWU the 17-point advantage.
• The Pioneers went into the halftime break with a 39-25 lead.
• The third quarter was the only quarter the Pioneers lost, 12-18, as the Lions cut into their double-digit deficit. The Lions would come within as little as four twice in the third quarter, but TWU stayed composed and found quick buckets to reestablish the lead.
• In the fourth quarter, Huffman gave TWU a double-digit advantage, 58-47, after a strong post move in the paint with six minutes remaining. TWU would lead by as much as 11 in the fourth quarter two more times – free throws by Elliott at the 2:15 mark and a layup by Kleinhans with 1:51 remaining.
• TWU never faltered and stayed locked in to close out the game in the final minutes of action. The Pioneers were strong at the free throw line to close the game. Two made free throws by Patel with 17 seconds left on the clock extended TWU's lead to eight, 72-64.
• The Lions would score a final three, but TWU would claim victory in the first game of the season, 72-67.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH BETH JILLSON

"Tonight was a great team road win," Coach Jillson said. "It was a strong way to start off our season. We had a lot of different players step up and contribute on both ends of the court, which pointed to the strength of depth at each position we will have this season. It was special to return to St. Jo and have our friends from Mid-Buchanan cheering us on and back in the stands."

NEXT UP

The Pioneers play tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. against Northwest Missouri State to close out the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic.