Box Score
Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team grabbed a late lead but could not hold on as the Cru dropped a 76-72 decision to Hardin-Simmons University Thursday night in Belton. The loss drops the UMHB women to 9-7 overall and 6-6 in American Southwest Conference play. The Cowgirls improve to 11-3 overall and 8-3 in ASC play with the victory and HSU also holds on to first place in the ASC West Division with the win.
The Cru would lead 35-31 after a first-half that featured eight ties and three lead changes. UMHB pushed the lead to as many as eight points early in the second half before the Cowgirls battled back. Hardin-Simmons took a 54-53 lead on Lindsey Newcombe's put-back with 11:13 remaining in the game. The Cowgirls pushed the lead to six points on the strength of a 7-0 run before the Cru started to whittle away.
Lindsay Eaton's three-point play pulled UMHB to within one at 66-65 with 3:47 to go and
Jenny Black hit a pair of free throws with 2:40 to play to put the Cru up 67-66. Jasmine Lewis answered with a jumper at the other end to put the Cowgirls on top 68-67 and the lead would grow to five before
Brittany Zamora's three-pointer with one second left cut the lead to 74-72. Newcombe buried two free-throws to provide the final margin.
Eaton led the Cru with 18 points and she added eight assists and seven rebounds.
Landie Thompson had 17 points and seven boards off the bench for UMHB and Zamora also reached double figures with 12 points. Black grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds for the Cru.
Newcombe had a huge night for HSU with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Alexis Popelar and Lewis added 13 points apiece for the Cowgirls.
UMHB shot 38 percent from the field and went just 2-9 from three-point range. HSU hit 46 percent from the field and 3-12 from beyond the arc. The Cowgirls also out rebounded UMHB 40-37 in the game.
The Cru will continue its home stand with a 1:00 PM tip-off against McMurry University on Saturday at the Mayborn Campus Center. The UMHB women will then hit the road for ASC West Division games at Howard Payne University and Sul Ross State University next week.
