'Roo Men Fall to LeTourneau in Season Opener

LONGVIEW, Texas - The Austin College men's basketball team got 24 points from Justice Mercadel and a double-double from Michael Holland in their season debuts, but it wasn't enough to overcome LeTourneau University in a 105-78 loss on Wednesday night.

Mercadel came off the bench to score his 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting, knocking down 2-of-4 three pointers and adding nine rebounds, while Holland hit 8-of-12 shots on his way to 18 points and 11 rebounds. He also dished out a team-best four assists. Mercadel and Holland were two of four Austin College players to reach double figures, as Austin Wells scored 12 points and Zachary Nickens went 4-of-4 to score 11 points in just 13 minutes of action.

Austin College stayed close to the Jackets through the first 10 minutes of the opening half, trailing 28-22 at the midway mark. However, LeTourneau would out-score the 'Roos 28-11 the rest of the half to head into the locker room leading 56-33, putting the game out of reach. Austin College shot 36.7% from the field compared to 45.5% for LeTourneau, and the Jackets owned a 65-45 advantage on the glass.