BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team remained undefeated in American Southwest Conference action with a narrow 74-72 win over No. 22 Hardin-Simmons University Thursday evening in Belton. UMHB improved to 15-2 on the season and 12-0 in league play while the Cowgirls fell to 12-4 overall and 7-4 in ASC action.
 
UMHB used a 6-0 run in the first quarter to lead the Cowgirls 8-2. Hardin-Simmons cut the lead to one before the Cru used another 6-0 lead, ending the quarter with a 16-11 advantage. Hardin-Simmons exploded in the second quarter, scoring 19 points to the Cru's 15. UMHB ended the half with a 31-30 lead, led by Kaitlyn Kollmorgen and Bethany McLeod with six points each.
 
The third quarter opened with four lead changes as both teams battled offensively. The quarter played within four points with five tied scores. Hardin-Simmons outscored the Cru 17-16 in the quarter, heading into the final frame of action with a 47-47 tie.
 
Ashley Faux opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back three-pointers to give UMHB a lead. The Cowgirls regained the lead at the 7:56 mark before Arienoa Rosborough hit a jumper at 6:09 to give the Cru another advantage. HSU took a one-point lead on a three-pointer from Parris Parmer with six minutes remaining. Catherine Kaiser hit a layup and following foul shot at 5:31 to put the Cru up once again. HSU led just once more before UMHB closed out the contest, maintaining possession for the final 1.7 seconds to earn a 74-72 win over the Cowgirls.
 
Faux led the Cru with 15 points followed by Rosborough with 14. Bethany McLeod and Kaitlyn Kollmorgen also finished in double-digits with 11 points and 10 points, respectively. Kasey Jo Hinton was the Cru's leading rebounder with four while Kollmorgen added a team-high two blocks and McLeod had a team-high four steals. UMHB shot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc, scoring seven second-chance points with 40 points in the paint.
 
UMHB returns to action on Saturday, January 29^th in a 1 p.m. contest against McMurry University at the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton.