Box Score
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Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team battled back from a late five-point deficit, but the Cru women could not overcome a pair of late free-throws as UMHB dropped a heartbreaking, 65-64 decision to LeTourneau University Thursday evening in Belton. The loss drops the UMHB women to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. LeTourneau improves to 2-3 overall and 2-1 in the ASC with the victory.
UMHB would lead by as many as six points on two occasions in the second half before LeTourneau fought back to take a 48-43 lead with 9:27 remaining. The Cru used a 7-0 run to take a 50-48 lead on Jessica Kelly's three-pointer with 5:58 left to play. LeTourneau answered with a 7-0 run of its own to go up 55-50 with 4:17 on the clock. Kallie White hit back-to-back three's for the Cru to give UMHB a 56-55 lead with 3:19 left. The two teams would then trade the lead until White hit a pair of free-throws with 16 seconds left to give the Cru a 64-63 lead. Alexis Popelar then nailed a pair of free-throws for LeTourneau with eight seconds to go. Caitlin Barganier's three-pointer at the other end went wide with two seconds left to clinch the win for the Yellow Jackets.
White led the Cru with 14 points on 5-8 shooting. Kellie Thomas added 11 points and Lindsay Eaton had 10 points despite playing just 11 minutes. Popelar led LeTourneau with 25 points and she hit 5-7 from three-point range. April McCamey and Laura Hahn added 10 points apiece and Lauren Llanes had a game-high 10 rebounds for LeTourneau.
UMHB shot 38 per cent from the field and went just 4-20 from three-point range in the game. LeTourneau shot 46 per cent from the field and went 9-16 from three-point range. The Yellow Jackets also out rebounded the Cru 40-32 to help overcome 31 LeTourneau turnovers.
The UMHB women will wrap up the brief home stand with a 5:30 PM tip-off against East Texas Baptist University on Saturday at the Mayborn Campus Center. The Cru women will then play road games at Concordia Texas and U.T.-Tyler next week before a two-week break from game action for the Christmas holiday.
