COMMERCE – Rezia Castillo scored with two seconds left to break a 77-77 tie as the East Texas A&M University women's basketball team defeated Louisiana 80-77 on Wednesday night on the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court in the Field House.
ET turned 18 Louisiana turnovers into an 18-8 advantage in points off turnovers. ET scored 80 points, above its season average of 68.0, and its 20 assists and 11 made 3-pointers were both season highs for 2026-27.
The Lions have beaten the Ragin' Cajuns for the second year in a row, while improving to 2-2 on the season, winning their first two home games for the fourth year in a row.
ET used perimeter shooting to create separation in the first quarter, breaking an 8-8 tie with an 8-0 run that included two
Jadyn Fife (Liberty Christian) 3-pointers and a
Terrayah McCoy (Princeton) layup. ET made 6 of 11 from 3-point range and recorded eight assists on eight made field goals. UL scored the final five points, but ET ended the quarter ahead 24-16.
ET was outscored 18-14 in the second quarter but still went into halftime ahead 38-34. McCoy helped steady the offense midway through the quarter with a 3-pointer and a jumper, both assisted by Castillo (Houston – Clear Brook), before
Jeriyah Baines (Killeen – Legion Prep Academy) added a late layup and two free throws.
The Lions' biggest third-quarter stretch came midway through the quarter, when it used a 10-0 run to turn a 51-44 deficit into a 54-51 lead.
Jailynn Brill (Lincoln, Neb.), Castillo, Baines and
Nina Horvath (Oberwart, Austria) all scored during the run, with Baines hitting a 3-pointer to tie it and Horvath following with another 3. Louisiana moved back in front late, but Baines' layup with 26 seconds left brought ET within 62-61 entering the fourth.
After Louisiana tied it at 77 with 48 seconds left, Horvath caused a steal with 13 seconds remaining and Castillo scored the go-ahead layup with two seconds left. ET had earlier answered a 72-66 deficit by tying the game on jumper from
Cora Horvath (Oberwart, Austria), then took late leads on Brill's layup and free throw and Castillo's basket at 1:04. Fife added a free throw at the buzzer, and ET finished off an 80-77 win.
McCoy scored a season-high 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting and collected six rebounds, including a season-high three on the offensive glass. McCoy has made at least two 3-pointers in consecutive games.
Castillo finished with 13 points, 11 assists and three steals, with the three steals marking a season high. Brill added 12 points and six rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
Torie Sevier (Aubrey – Braswell) recorded four blocks, above her season average of 1.33. Fife scored 10 points, above her season average of 4.67, and recorded two steals for the first time this season.
Cora Horvath has recorded at least four assists in two consecutive games.
UP NEXT
The Lions are on the road for their next six games, playing at Baylor on Sunday at 2 p.m.
-ETAMU-
