Box Score
Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team stormed back from a double-digit second-half deficit and the Cru held on for a 73-66 victory over the University of the Ozarks Thursday evening in Belton. The UMHB women improve to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops Ozarks to 7-6 overall and 3-5 in the ASC on the season.
Ozarks controlled the first half and UMHB would only lead one time in the first half, at 23-21 with 6:24 left in the half. The Eagles would answer with a three-pointer to retake the lead at 24-23 and UMHB would trail 29-25 at halftime. Ozarks would stretch the lead to double digits at 46-36 with 13:05 left to play. The Cru fought back and closed to within three points at 48-45 with 10:41 on the clock. Ozarks opened the lead back to nine points at 57-48 but the Cru scored the game's next 10 points to take its first lead of the second half at 58-57 with 5:16 remaining. UMHB would push the lead to six points before the Eagles battled back to within three at 64-61 with 2:52 to play. The lead would be back to six before another Ozarks rally cut it to 67-64 with 50 seconds remaining. UMHB then hit a length of the court pass to
Cortney Poncik for a lay-up and five point lead. The Cru added four straight free throws to push the lead to nine and UMHB coasted to the victory.
Brittany Zamora topped the Cru with 20 points and she added six rebounds, three steals and three assists.
Landie Thompson came off the bench to add 14 points on 7-12 shooting.
Caitlin Barganier also reached double figures for the Cru with 11 points and nine different players scored for UMHB.
April Young led the Ozarks with 14 points and Chelsea Glasscock added 13 points. Sabrina Goddard chipped in with 12 points but was limited for much of the first half with foul trouble. Ashley Teague had nine points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Eagles.
UMHB shot 42 percent from the field, including 47 percent in the second half. The Cru also hit 9-26 from three-point range and went 10-12 from the free-throw line. Ozarks shot 41 percent from the field and was 10-27 from beyond the arc. UMHB turned the ball over just nine times in the win.
The Cru will continue its home stand with a 1:00 PM tip-off against U.T.-Dallas on Saturday at the Mayborn Campus Center. The UMHB women will then travel to Austin to take on Concordia Texas in a 5:30 PM start next Monday night.
