WOMEN’S BASKETBALL — Jones Records Double-Double as Bulldogs Beat UMHB

TLU Sports Information & Sports Marketing

Bryce Hayes

For Immediate Release
SEGUIN, Texas — Texas Lutheran (6-2) downed visiting Mary Hardin-Baylor (8-4), 77-54, in what made for a historic afternoon for several Bulldogs on Sunday in Memorial Gymnasium. The win over the Crusaders is the first for the Bulldogs since 2013, ending a six-game losing streak to the Crusaders. Texas Lutheran finishes the 2024 calendar year with a 6-1 record at home dating back to last season.

Sarahi Jones (Los Fresnos/Los Fresnos) recorded her second career double-double, notching 14 points, a career-high 18 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. The 18 rebounds are the most for the Bulldogs since Lynn Lumpkin-Boozer’s program record 27 rebounds against Sul Ross State in 2011 and the most by a Bulldog since joining the SCAC. The 18 rebounds also tie Sara Kainer and Shanna Dauchy for the sixth most in a single-game in program history.

All five TLU starters finished in double figures with Angelina Sotelo (San Marcos/San Marcos) leading the Bulldogs with a season-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting including going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and added three assists. Kailee Mulkey (New Braunfels/New Braunfels) added 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, and a team-high five steals. Sunday was Mulkey’s fifth career game with at least five steals. Mulkey currently ranks third in the SCAC with an average of 2.8 steals per game and following Sunday’s game she moved into a tie with Tara Molina (2016-21) for second in program history in steals with 166 in her career. Lauren Sansano (San Antonio/FEAST) totaled 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and matched Mulkey to dish out a team-high four assists. Elexis Morado (Kingsville/Santa Gertrudis Academy), who made her first start since 2022 on Sunday, matched her career-high with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Texas Lutheran controlled the game from the outset taking an early 14-8 lead before carrying a 19-16 lead into the second quarter. Elexis Morado and Angelina Sotelo scored six points each to lead the Bulldogs in the opening period. The Bulldogs would stretch their lead to nine entering the halftime break behind a seven point second quarter from Lauren Sansano.

After a slow start to the third, TLU was able to battle back to still win the quarter with an 18-15 advantage led by five points from Sarahi Jones. The Bulldogs would dominate the fourth quarter, outscoring a Crusaders team that beat 2nd-ranked Wartburg two weeks ago, 21-10 to put the game away. TLU would lead for all but 17 seconds Sunday afternoon with every active member of the team seeing at least one minute of action.

As a team, Texas Lutheran recorded 22 assists on 30 made field goals and forced 25 UMHB turnovers, the second most for the Crusaders this season – only trailing the 27 forced by the Bulldogs earlier this month.

Up next, TLU begins SCAC conference play on Thursday, January 2, as the Southwestern University Pirates travel to Seguin for the conference opener. Tip-off is set for 5:30 PM. The game will be streamed on TLU+. All streaming and live stats links will be available on tlubulldogs.com.