Zac Majors hit a key 3-pointer and LeTourneau hit its final four free throws in the last 12 seconds and the Yellow Jackets avenged their loss earlier this season to McMurry with a 81-76 victory over the hosts at Kimbrell Arena Monday. McMurry had taken the lead for only the second time of the ball game when Terrance Willis hit a jumper in the paint to make the score 74-72. However, Majors answered back with a 3-pointer and the Yellow Jackets held off any further rally.
Evers hit a reverse layup with 30 seconds remaining to put LeTourneau up 77-74. Dewayne Hall answered back for McMurry with a floating jump shot in the paint. However, it would be the last points McMurry scored and Majors and Dewones Smith connected on two free throws apiece to close out the game.
LeTourneau had McMurry on the ropes several times during the game, but McMurry wouldn't lay down. The Yellow Jackets trailed 35-18 with 7:12 remaining before closing the half by trimming the lead to eight points before intermission.
Then, to begin the second half, LeTourneau built a 14-point lead on two different occasions. The last 14-point lead came with 14:05 remaining, but McMurry continued to trim the lead. With 6:04 left, Hall hit a jumper to start a 12-2 run that eventually gave them a lead when Willis finished a bucket with 2:22 remaining.
From there, Majors and his teammates did the rest. He and teammate, J.J. Rockmore scored 18 points apiece while Marcel Louimeus had 12 points and Smith added 10. LeTourneau shot 50.8 percent from the field, made 5 of 14 3-pointers, made 14 of 16 free throws, and hit all eight of their free shots in the second half.
McMurry shot better than Saturday when it lost to East Texas Baptist. The team hit 46.9 percent of its shots and made seven 3-pointers. However, McMurry made just 9 of 16 shots from the free-throw line.
Hall led McMurry with 19 points off the half, 14 came in the second half; he was 8 of 12 from the field. Chris Beck and Willis score 12 points apiece. Willis narrowly missed a double-double. He had nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals. One of his blocks came in the first half and electrified the crowd when he stopped Smith's dunk attempt on a fast break.
Chris Gammage also had a good game; he led all players with 13 rebounds and added five points in the losing effort.
McMurry turned the ball over 23 times while forcing LeTourneau into 19 miscues. McMurry even led the rebounding battle 38-30. The Yellow Jackets scored 32 points off turnovers.
LeTourneau beat McMurry for the first time ever at Kimbrell Arena and it was only the second time in school history that the Yellow Jackets beat McMurry. McMurry fell to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the ASC while LeTourneau moved to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
