Sports
NCAA to sell betting data to sportsbooks in Genius Sports deal
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will sell data from its championship events to US sportsbooks as part of an expanded partnership with Genius Sports.
Contract:
- Genius Sports to be the exclusive provider of official NCAA data to licensed sportsbooks for March Madness and all post-season tournaments through 2032
- Sportsbooks to apply for licensed access using the NCAA’s Authorised Gaming Licensee (AGL) sports program
- NCAA LiveStats, its official platform for live game statistics, to remain free for all member schools
- NCAA LiveStats to be enhanced by Genius’ artificial intelligence (AI) program GeniusIQ for real-time analytics and insights
Context:
The NCAA has previously been reluctant to sell its data for betting purposes, with executives having been concerned about the detrimental impact increased betting could have on student-athletes.
In January, NCAA president Charlie Baker called for Congress to limit sports betting in college sports, with hundreds of athletes said to have been approached to change their performance by gamblers. As a result, he has called for athlete-specific prop bets to be banned.
However, it now becomes the latest sports association to sign a data distribution deal designed to drive major income from legal betting, which has become more prevalent in the US. Genius has also partnered with the National Football League (NFL), with its partnership including at least US$450 million in stock and cash at the time of signing.
The NCAA will hope this partnership provides a new income stream, having earned the majority of its US$1.38 billion in revenue during the 2024 financial year through its broadcast deals for men’s March Madness. March Madness is the biggest betting event in the US, with the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimating that US$3.1 billion was wagered on the men’s and women’s college basketball championships this year.
According to Sportico, Genius will not pay an additional fee for the sportsbook rights, with the two parties to continue under the revenue sharing agreement first established in 2018.
Comment:
“Since 2018, Genius Sports’ technology has transformed the college sports data ecosystem,” said Mark Locke, Genius Sports chief executive. “This extension is a powerful endorsement of our vision, delivering cutting-edge data solutions to support NCAA schools while connecting our sportsbook partners with the highest quality NCAA official content, alongside our exclusive NFL and Premier League rights.
”Most importantly, it’s a partnership grounded in innovation, integrity, and a shared commitment to the future of collegiate athletics.”
Coming next:
The NCAA is awaiting approval of its proposed US$2.8 billion House settlement in its antitrust lawsuit, with a federal judge citing concerns over roster limits. The college sports body has already proposed new rules to allow direct payments to players that will come into place once the settlement is ratified.
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Jan. 4, 2026, 6:01 a.m. ET
Like the Great Awakenings of years gone by, a religious revival is emanating from Ohio State’s campus.
The mouthpieces of revival aren’t buttoned-up pastors yelling about fire and brimstone. And they aren’t speaking under tents or at church pulpits.
They are Ohio State football players. Often, their platform is on the field and on social media. And it stays the same, even when they falter on the field, as they did in the College Football Playoff. Their message?
“JESUS WON.”
Mass baptisms spark ‘Buckeye Revival’
The “Buckeye Revival” caught fire on a warm August night in 2024 as hundreds gathered to listen to Ohio State football players TreyVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka and Gee Scott Jr. share their Christian faith.
Judson Overmyer, a northwest Ohio native, made the last-minute decision to drive to Columbus for the event.
He heard Scott, a senior tight end, read the story of the Prodigal Son aloud to the crowd. The Luke 15 parable describes the story of the child of a wealthy man who squanders his inheritance and doesn’t feel worthy to return home.
The son is then welcomed home with open arms.
“He got towards the end, and they started the altar call and it kind of went silent,” Overmyer said. “And then he said, ‘It only takes one.'”
Overmyer doesn’t remember being the first to stand up and walk to the front of the crowd. But that’s what he did, and when he turned around, he saw dozens of people walking up behind him.
Then he was baptized.
“It was the most surreal feeling. The second I hit the water and came back up, I felt weightless. Like the feeling of all the burdens on me that felt like they were physically weighing me down were taken away in that just outward profession of my faith,” he said.
Buckeyes build ‘Jesus hype’
Led by Henderson, Scott, Egbuka, J.T. Tuimoloau and Kamryn Babb, among others, the football team’s spiritual movement became defined by the players sporting T-Shirt bearing the words “JESUS WON,” holding a moment of prayer before each game and voicing outspoken declarations of faith in media interviews and on social media.
“What has taken place in my life and the lives of other people on this team — and I know I’m here to talk about football — but it’s a true testament of the Lord that I serve,” Scott told reporters during a January 2025 press conference.
Through the team’s 2024 national championship run, its march through the 2025 regular season and the first victory against Michigan since 2019, the players created what one Columbus faith leader called “Jesus hype.”
Nick Nye, the executive director of For Columbus, said he heard from a friend on staff at 614 Church that a congregant’s roommate started coming to church out of curiosity driven by the players’ faith.
“When my pastor friend, David, shared this story, he said it in a sense of, ‘Man, I just feel like I’ve heard stories like this happening several times,'” Nye said. “It’s been more than once.”
Even before the movement came into the public eye at the 2024 fall kickoff, the Buckeye Revival was catching fire behind the scenes: off the screens and off the field.
Months prior to Overmyer starting the altar call and being baptized, Scott baptized his teammates, the men who would later lead the movement, in front of his religious home, Gahanna’s One Church.
The reach of the ‘Buckeye Revival’
The revival that has taken over the Ohio State University campus has spread beyond the stadium, the Ohio Union and the Oval.
And it extended beyond the 2024 season and into the 2025 squad.
On Sept. 8, 2025, a panel of Buckeyes told their stories of faith and football for a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. A social media account that shares testimonies from the team’s Christian players said around 75 people were baptized that night.
“Jesus won. I’m good; I’m great. I can lose this game, and I’m still great. I still won. I think that was the biggest thing for me last year. I lost so much anxiety as the season went on. I started playing with peace, started playing for the Lord and just playing anxiety-free,” Styles said at the event, according to a video shared by The Courageous Athlete account.
Social media platforms (not to mention their visibility during nationally televised games) have helped the football-players-turned-evangelists extend their reach.
At the forefront of the movement is a digital platform, The Walk Foundation, led by podcaster and Christian content creator, Kevin Walsh.
Using his personal platform of sports content and Christian ministry, Walsh and his co-host, Jacob Byrd, began interviewing Buckeyes about their faith journeys on the series, “Buckeye Revival,” after the success of the 2024 fall kickoff.
The Walk Foundation, or “accessthewalk,” had more than 54,000 followers on TikTok and 43,000 followers on Instagram as of mid-December.
Clips from his interviews with Scott and Montgomery have 1.8 million and 3.2 million views on Instagram alone, with videos consistently reaching hundreds of thousands of views.
Walsh said the celebrity of the athletes helps spread the Christian message.
“Athletes are idolized so much that it actually points people to what these athletes really care about and where they’re rooted, which is in their faith in Jesus,” Walsh said.
Changing the next generation of athletes
Walsh has been most surprised by the depth of faith of the athletes.
“Football players or athletes get a little bit of a stereotype that they just hit heads on the field and may not be so down to earth or so vulnerable. You look at these guys and they’d be big, masculine, angry guys, but then you see how soft their hearts are,” Walsh said.
The vulnerability is likewise reaching younger generations, both on and off the field.
Like the Buckeyes, a group of players from Bishop Watterson High School pray before they take the field.
Nye recounted a player’s father pointing to the Ohio State athletes’ faith influence as the high school team took home the state title for the second year in a row on Dec. 5.
He said when pastors are intentional about reaching Generation Z or college-aged students, they are seeing upticks in attendance.
“Gen Z and Gen Alpha are now more likely to attend church more regularly than even the boomer generation, and are more interested in Christianity than Gen X, Boomers and Millennials,” he said. “It’s kind of creating this wave, and I think the football players are just the spotlighted version of that.”
Opponents-turned-brothers in faith
Walsh and Byrd now are interviewing athletes from universities around the country with The Walk Podcast’s College Football Series.
They have talked with athletes from Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame and even Michigan. But Walsh said it all started with the Ohio State football team.
“[The other athletes] saw these Ohio State football players sharing about their faith, and they’re like, ‘Wait, we can do that, too,'” Walsh said.
“The catalyst has been here in Columbus. That’s what’s been really cool. From there, it’s actually spreading out, and other athletes are just being encouraged by these Ohio State guys. Then they can build it up and feel confident doing that in their own communities.”
After Ohio State beat Penn State, Montgomery and injured Penn State quarterback Drew Allar prayed together on the field.
“JESUS WON, for both teams,” The Courageous Athlete posted following the game.
In an interview with Michael Taaffe, a Texas Longhorns defensive back, Byrd asked about challenges in Taaffe’s faith and football career.
“You miss a play in front of 10 million fans, and you’re getting humiliated on all social media platforms. It’s like, ‘Why is this happening. This is not what I asked for,” Taaffe said on the Nov. 25 podcast episode.
“. . . I always get reminded that I can’t do this alone. I think the pressure that we get put in as college athletes, the adversity I’ve had to face in my life, nobody can do it alone.”
Walsh said through gaining a peek behind the curtain of the athletes’ lives while leading the storytelling series, he learned that the athletes are “normal people.”
“These are normal guys just like me. They go through the same struggles that I might go through,” Walsh said. “The impact is, ‘I’m not alone.’ And athletes who you might think are on cloud nine, they’re so similar.”
Finding victory in loss: What happens next?
The Buckeyes’ lost twice in the 2024 season: an early conference season road game against Oregon, and a regular season-ending heartbreaker against archrival Michigan.
The 2025 season looked different, as the Buckeyes took down Texas in the season opener and cruised through Big Ten play, defeating Michigan in Ann Arbor on Nov. 29 for the first time since 2019.
Then came the Big Ten championship game. The No. 1 Buckeyes, favorites to win the conference title, fell 13-10 to the Indiana Hoosiers, in a game with eerie similarities to last year’s Michigan loss.
While they entered the College Football Playoff as a No. 2 seed with aspirations for a national championship repeat, the loss to Miami was a big blow to a team considered the country’s best for much of the year.
Still, in the wake of the loss, the Courageous Athlete Instagram page shared a simple message:
“JESUS WON.”
Kindness and religion reporter Sophia Veneziano may be reached at sveneziano@dispatch.com.
MVP
Defending her crown as the top player, this year’s All-Johnson County Most Valuable Player goes to Grandview outside hitter London Helm.
“When I hear MVP, I don’t think about stats or awards. To me, it means I did my job as a leader and a teammate,” said Helm. “It means the people around me felt supported, trusted me on the court and knew I was going to show up and work every day. That matters more to me than anything individually.”
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In her final season with the Lady Zebras, Helm began her senior campaign by winning the MVP award at the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star game in July.
Eyeing a state championship with Grandview after the winningest season in program history and its first trip to the state tournament, Helm led the Lady Zebras to a 33-11 overall record, an undefeated District 18-3A run and a second consecutive appearance to the final four.
“What I’ll remember most about my senior year is getting to play alongside my sister [Paris] and share those moments and accomplishments with her,” Helm said. “I’ll also remember how much I grew as a leader. Not every season is perfect, and there were times when our team faced challenges and division, but those moments taught me how important selflessness, accountability, and trust are. Our coaches continued to push us and hold us to a standard, and that experience shaped me just as much as the wins did.”
Boasting 424 kills, 103 aces, 360 digs and 87 blocks, she earned the district MVP honor, while being named to the UIL 3A Div. I All-Tournament team, the TGCA 3A All-State team and the Texas Sports Writers Association’s third team.
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Helm is now the program record holder in kills with 1,463 and in blocks with 317.
In deciding on where to further her playing career, what mattered most to Helm was her feelings while on campus. Whether the future involved volleyball or not, she believed Oklahoma Baptist University was the best place and signed with them in early December.
“I wanted to be somewhere I could grow as a player and as a person, with a coach who understands I still have a lot to learn and is willing to invest in me,” furthered Helm. “What I’m most excited about is the challenge. Signing doesn’t mean anything is given. It’s just the beginning. I’m ready to be pushed, compete as a freshman and work for every opportunity on the court as an outside [hitter].”
While playing volleyball, Helm will pursue a degree in engineering.
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Offensive Players of the Year
Sharing the award of All-Johnson County Offensive Player of the Year are a pair of 6-foot-1 left-handed hitters who were hard to contain. The Co-OPOY award goes to Joshua’s Natalia Belisle and Cleburne’s Grace Thorne.
Leading the Lady Owl charge to one of the program’s best seasons, Belisle was voted the best player in District 8-5A among some of the County’s best teams in Centennial, Burleson and Cleburne.
Just behind Helm in season kills with 416, Belisle finished with a 31.9% hitting percentage and averaged nearly four kills per set.
Joshua’s senior middle blocker and right side hitter has yet to commit, but has received multiple offers.
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On a youthful roster, the Cleburne Lady Jackets relied on the experience and talents of their seniors, including Thorne.
The right side and opposite hitter led the team with 254 kills, helping Cleburne reach the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
“I am thankful for the personal growth and opportunity to lead that being a part of Cleburne volleyball has given me,” said Thorne. “Looking back, it’s encouraging to see how even the struggles and challenging seasons have shaped me. Being presented with this award is very meaningful to me because confidence has not come easily. I am proud of my teammates and the direction this program is heading.”
On Nov. 13, Thorne signed her national letter of intent with Northwest Missouri University and is just thankful for the opportunity to play at the college level.
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“Northwest really just fits all the things I am looking for, from its size and academic strengths to the volleyball program’s history and solid coaching staff. I am most looking forward to building relationships with my new teammates and making an impact.”
Defensive Player of the Year
Returning to the superlative list for 2025 is a middle blocker who’s been a constant throughout her time as a Ladycat and capped off her varsity career with another extraordinary season. The All-Johnson County Defensive Player of the Year is Godley’s Bella Van Wart.
The District 12-4A MVP and TGCA All-State selection finished with 81 blocks on the year and 211 digs, the most by any middle blocker in the area.
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Van Wart will take her talents not too far from home, as she signed with Dallas Baptist University in mid-December.
Setter of the Year
Although many of the finalists are deserving of this award, the All-Johnson County Setter of the Year was a landslide victory for Grandview’s Gracie Lawson.
The district Setter of the Year and TGCA 3A All-State selection left everything on the court in the final season of her career, totaling 1,189 assists. For reference, the second-highest assist count came from Joshua’s Braedyn Holland with 808.
Setting up Grandview’s hardest hitters, such as Helm, Rylie Butler and Emma Bartosh, Lawson also set the program record with 3,110 career assists.
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She will be attending Arkansas to focus on academics.
Server of the Year
Among a very young Lady Indian roster is the sole senior who earned the title of All-Johnson County Server of the Year — Alvarado’s Madison Kingsley.
The Lady Indian libero picked up 71 aces during the season.
Utility Player of the Year
Helping the Lady Elks to an 11-3 district record in her final season, the All-Johnson County Utility Player of the Year goes to Burleson’s Daelyn Cross.
Earning the same honor in District 8-5A, Cross was near the top in almost every category for the Lady Elks with 143 kills, 18 aces, 18 blocks and 102 digs.
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The senior outside hitter is headed to Olathe, Kansas next fall after signing with Mid-America Nazarene University back in November.
Newcomer of the Year
Although her time with the Lady Chargers was short, the senior middle blocker made the most of her time. The All-Johnson County Newcomer of the Year is Keene’s Deonna Tell.
Adding size and power to the Keene lineup, Tell made her presence known in her only season with the program and assisted the team in clinching a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2021.
In district games, Tell had 126 kills, 26 blocks and 74 digs. She was recognized by District 18-3A for the same honor.
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Liberos of the Year
Maintaining control of the back row, this pair of liberos was essential in the program’s success in 2025. The All-Johnson County Co-Liberos of the Year are Joshua’s Madilyn Lacey and Grandview’s Paisley Hayes.
Lacey nearly doubled the second-most digs on the Lady Owls (663) and was second in aces (41) in her junior year.
As the district Defensive Player of the Year, Lacey led all teams in digs and was top 10 in the area in that statistical category.
With the third most digs in the county at 462 and over 900 receptions, Hayes saw a significant increase in her production for the Lady Zebras from 2024 as the only libero listed on the roster.
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“To play for a program like Grandview has been such an honor. My coaches and team have pushed me to not only be the best player I could be, but the best teammate too,” said Hayes. “I am so beyond grateful to have spent my high school career playing for such a successful team. The contributions I’ve been able to make are simply just a thank you to the life lessons and memories this group of girls has blessed me with.”
Hayes rounds out the three Grandview selections for superlative awards.
“London, Gracie and I came into this team as only freshmen hoping to make a mark on the program. To be able to say that we not only did that, but made history for Grandview volleyball is something I truly don’t take for granted,” Hayes said. “Not only are they my teammates, but my best friends and I wouldn’t want to share accolades with any other two people. Playing alongside them has been the best part of being on this team, and I’m grateful for the four seasons I have been able to call them my teammates. It’s been an incredible ride, and I’m glad to say that we have set the new standard for this program.”
Coach of the Year
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In her first season at the helm, the Lady Eagles saw a dramatic change in their mindset and the results showed. The All-Johnson County Coach of the Year is Rio Vista’s Rebecca Anderson.
Bringing a “big-school mindset” to the 2A program, Anderson pivoted the Lady Eagles to be a much stronger version of themselves and garnered a 27-13 record and a second-place finish in District 13-2A.
It was the most wins in a season for Rio Vista since 2017.
The Lady Eagles made it all the way to the regional semifinals for the first time in five years.
Team of the Year
Droughts don’t get much longer than for the Lady Owls and a district championship. Despite winning season after winning season, topping the standings has evaded Joshua until 2025.
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Behind Belisle, Lacey and a deep roster, Joshua claimed the District 8-5A title with a perfect 14-0 record; a first in 44 years.
With a 32-10 overall record, the All-Johnson County Team of the Year is the Joshua Lady Owls.
First team: Cleburne’s Arrisa Turner; Alvarado’s Kaetyn Hazard; Grandview’s Rylie Butler and Emma Bartosh; Godley’s Kase Grimsley, Bryce Reed, Alissa Sullivan and Lila Heiner; Joshua’s Braedyn Holland and Kensey Doss; Keene’s Aliana Lewis; Rio Vista’s Courtney Cooley, Kalli West and Shiloh Johnson; Burleson’s Camryn Bruder, Anna Davis, Brooklyn Lynes and Gemma Sweeney; Centennial’s Lauren Seeton, Channing Ward and Ty’Jahnique Minter.
Second team: Cleburne’s Jozlyn Tarango; Godley’s Abbi Lee; Joshua’s Ruby Vincent, Kinlee Alexander and Kaylee Elrod; Keene’s Brynleigh McFarlin; Rio Vista’s Gator Dayhuff and Emma Niemtschk; Burleson’s Morgan McAlpin and Guinevere VanderTol; Centennial’s Sophia Kirkpatrick and Katelyn Seeton.
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Honorable mention: Cleburne’s Haley Price, Adeline Leifeste and Maddie Morrison; Grandview’s Sarah McDaniel and Kenna Collins; Godley’s Peyton Bower and Calleigh Brewer; Joshua’s Ava Abbott, Katherine Colbert, Heidi Walker and Reagan Gage; Rio Vista’s Kyndal Cooley and Tamra Hersom; Burleson’s Vivianne Rose and Angela Ombati; Centennial’s Gracyn McKay and Kamryn Key.
Selections were made by Armando Lutz based on the submissions of coaches, along with stats and accolades.
DES MOINES, Iowa – Indiana State men’s basketball looks to get back on track during the backend of the Iowa swing trip, playing Drake on Sunday afternoon.
Last Time Out
After leading at the break by five at Northern Iowa, Indiana State fell to the Panthers 75-66 on New Year’s Day. The UNI would outscore the Sycamores 42-28 to claim the victory.
Ian Scott led the way offensively for Indiana State, scoring 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Sterling Young was right behind with 14 points off the bench, finishing 6-for-9 from the floor. Jo Van Buggenhout finished with seven points, five rebounds, and seven assists.
Indiana State did shoot their best from inside the arc, 79.3% on a 23-for-29 effort.
Series History
This will be meeting No. 103 against the Sycamores and Bulldogs, as Drake holds the series lead 53-49. Both teams hold a decisive advantage when playing on their home court – Drake owns a 34-13 record in Des Moines. The Bulldogs also have the advantage over the last 10 meetings, going 8-2.
Both Indiana State wins came in Terre Haute. The Sycamores haven’t won in Des Moines since January 6, 2016 by a score of 79-69.
Quick Hits
- Jo Van Buggenhout has averaged 6.0 assists in the last two games, above his season average of 3.0.
- Enel St. Bernard has come off the bench all season, and in the last 8 games he has grabbed 4+ rebounds in each. In the last 8 game, he’s averaging 5.13 rebounds per game.
- Ian Scott is averaging 18.25 points per game in the last 4 games, better than his season average of 13.9.
- MVC Rankings (with MVC-specific minimums included, thru 1/1)
- Ian Scott: 2nd in rebounds per game (7.07), 4th in FG% (63.3%), 7th in points per game (13.93), T13 in assists per game (2.64), 12th in free throw percentage (74.5%), 14th in Ast/TO Ratio (1.36), T15 in blocked shots (0.79)
- Xavier Hall: 2nd in assists per game (4.80), 4th in Ast/TO Ratio (2.32), 6th in free throw percentage (82.9%)
- Jo Van Buggenhout: 10th in assists per game (3.00)
- Enel St. Bernard: T13 in blocked shots (0.80), T18 in rebounds per game (5.27)
- Camp Wagner: 2nd in threes made (44), 4th in free throw percentage (90.9%) 14th in points per game (12.93), 18th in three-point percentage (34.6%)
Up Next
Indiana State will return to action on Saturday, January 10 at home against the University of Evansville. Game time is set for 1 p.m. ET with the doors opening at noon.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Basketball, visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
By Canadian Press on January 3, 2026.
LONGVIEW, Texas (AP) — Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A all-state volleyball team, distributed by The Associated Press:
FIRST TEAM
Middle blockers: Keoni Williams, Eagle Mountain, sr.; Emma Pollard, Gatesville, sr.; Rebecca Lucksinger, Bellville, sr.
Outside hitters: Ava Green, Decatur, soph.; Elizabeth Corbitt, Spring Hill, sr.; Paisley Pavliska, La Vernia, sr.
Setter: Molly Aubert, Eagle Mountain, jr.
Libero/defensive specialist: Lexi Nichols, Eagle Mountain, sr.
Player of the year: Green, Decatur
Coach of the year: Stormi Snider, Decatur
___
SECOND TEAM
Middle blockers: Shaelyn Ward, Aubrey, sr.; Alyssa Potts, Lindale, sr.; Harper Smith, Decatur, jr.
Outside hitters: Libby Tedder, Springtown, soph.; Allegra Foreman, Stephenville, sr.; Avery Keck, La Vernia, sr.
Setter: Grace Fortune, Decatur, sr.
Libero/defensive specialist: Hannah Forshee, Sweeny, soph.
___
THIRD TEAM
Middle blockers: Sayler Peck, Decatur, soph.; Brooklyn Brannen, Bullard, sr.; Giselle Webster, Kilgore, sr.
Outside hitters: Savannah Irwin, Spring Hill, sr.; Brooke Lacewell, Eagle Mountain, sr.; Belle Seibert, Sweeny, sr.
Setter: Bailey Hampton, Aubrey, sr.
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Kaylee Londeau, Spring Hill, jr.
The Associated Press
23
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Sports
Tarleton State Women’s Basketball’s strong second half not enough to complete comeback at CBU
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Tarleton State Women’s Basketball took control in the second half, but CBU’s double-digit lead was too much to overcome and the Lancers defeated the Texans 80-68 on Saturday at the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center.
CBU shot 62% in the first half and made nine 3-pointers to take a 25-point lead at halftime. The Texans used 48.5% shooting in the second half and outscored the Lancers in the last 20 minutes. CBU finished the game shooting 62.5% from 3-point range and 54.5% from the floor overall to maintain its lead.
Senior guard Gia Adams led the Texans in scoring with 21 points, including 17 in the second half. Senior guard Jakoriah Long added 19 points, including three 3-pointers to bring her career total to 100. Long is now in the top 10 on the program’s all-time career 3-pointers list. Freshman center Elodie Lutbert added 10 points to go with four blocks, her third game with four or more blocks.
“It was very important for us to get off to a good start defensively and we did not do that today,” head coach Bill Brock said. “CBU is a very hard team to match up with and you have to get back in transition defense so fast against them. I’m never happy with a loss, but I’m more satisfied with our effort in the second half today than I was at Utah Valley.”
After CBU opened the first quarter with the game’s first basket, the Texans forced the Lancers to miss their next six shots. Tarleton State took advantage, with Long knocking down a 3-pointer to give her team the lead. CBU, however, responded with layups on four straight possessions to take an early seven-point lead.
CBU ended the opening period shooting 50% from the floor while the Texans made 33% of their shots in the first 10 minutes. The Lancers knocked down a 3-pointer just before the first quarter buzzer to take a 23-12 lead.
Junior forward Allie Myers helped the Texans cut the deficit to single digits in the second quarter, but CBU responded by making three of its first four 3-pointers to stretch the lead. The Lancers got a lift from their freshman guard Lauren Olsen in the second quarter. Olsen made all six of her shot attempts en route to 15 second quarter points to help the Lancers go up by 20.
CBU ended the first half on a 7-0 scoring run while holding Tarleton State scoreless for the final two minutes, allowing the Lancers to take a 25-point lead into the locker room.
The Texans eyed a comeback after the break, knocking down the first two shots of the third period while forcing CBU into three shots and three turnovers. Tarleton State knocked down four of its first seven shots from the floor in the second half, trimming the deficit to 19 at the media timeout.
CBU answered with two 3-pointers while holding Tarleton State to just two made shots over a two-minute stretch. The Texans, however, outscored the Lancers 19-13 in the third quarter to make it a 62-43 game entering the final quarter.
Tarleton State knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter and trim the deficit, with junior guard Caroline Lyles knocking down a basket from beyond the arc to make it a 13-point game.
Despite the Texans winning the fourth quarter 25-18, the deficit was too much for Tarleton State to overcome.
Tarleton State wraps up its road trip with its first game of the I-20 rivalry in 2026, traveling to Abilene Christian on Thursday for a 6 p.m. contest.
Postgame Notes
- Tarleton State was unable to complete a comeback at CBU and was defeated by the Lancers 80-68 on Saturday at the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center. The Texans are now 0-2 in the 2026 calendar year.
- CBU now has an 8-1 record against Tarleton State in women’s basketball. The Lancers remained undefeated against the Texans in games played in Riverside.
- Senior guard Jakoriah Long knocked down three 3-pointers, bringing her career 3-pointers total to 100. Long is now in the top 10 on the program’s all-time list for career 3-pointers.
- Senior guard Gia Adams scored 17 second half points en route to a 21-point performance. Saturday marked Adams’ fourth 20-point game of the season.
- Freshman center Elodie Lutbert had four blocked shots, her third game this season with 4+ blocks. She is the first Texan since the 2021-22 season to have three games with at least four blocks (Seynabou Thiam, 8).
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