Howard Payne celebrated their sole senior, Riley Fornerette, on senior night. Fornerette nailed a dagger 3-pointer with 1:45 left in the game to put Howard Payne ahead 107-98, and the Yellow Jackets earned a 114-101 victory against the LeTourneau Yellow Jackets at home Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets (11-11, 2-3) had five players score in double figures, led by Armonie Ramey, who had 27 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. Fornerette added 24 points, seven assists and four steals and Ben Phillip chipped in as well with 18 points off the bench.

The Howard Payne offense was very productive from deep, making 12 threes on 17 attempts. Phillip was the most prolific shooter for the Yellow Jackets, draining six treys in the contest.

The Howard Payne defense caused its share of mistakes in Saturday’s game, forcing 27 LeTourneau turnovers while committing 19. Those takeaways turned into 33 points on the offensive end of the floor. Mason McGowen led the way individually for the Yellow Jackets with four steals.

How It Happened

After falling behind 42-37, Howard Payne went on a 16-0 run with 6:36 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Trey Jackson, to take a 53-42 lead. The Yellow Jackets then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 59-53 advantage. Howard Payne capitalized on 16 LeTourneau turnovers in the period, turning them into 20 points on the other end of the floor.

Howard Payne kept its lead intact before going on an 11-0 run, finished off by Carter Eddy’s layup, to grow the lead to 74-59 with 15:54 to go in the contest. The Yellow Jackets narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Yellow Jackets still cruised the rest of the way for the 114-101 win. Howard Payne got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 14 of its 55 total points.

Game Notes

» The Yellow Jackets were incredible from long range, knocking down 12 of 17 three point attempts.
» Howard Payne never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Howard Payne recorded 22 total assists in the game.
» The Howard Payne bench came alive by scoring 36 points to its scoring output.
» Five Howard Payne players scored 10 or more points.
» Ben Phillip and Nathan Scott came off the bench to score 18 and 10 points, respectively.
» The Yellow Jackets turned 27 turnovers into 33 points on the offensive end.
» The Howard Payne defense forced 27 turnovers.
» Howard Payne cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Armonie Ramey led the Yellow Jackets with 27 points and Riley Fornerette added 24.
» Howard Payne got a team-high eight rebounds from Armonie Ramey.

Howard Payne will face off against Hardin-Simmons next Thursday, February 13th, in Abilene. Game time is set for 7:30 PM.