BELTON, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team cruised to an 83-45 win over Piedmont University Thursday afternoon in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 8-3 on the season while the Lions fell to 5-4.
 
UMHB led by as many as seven points early in the first quarter. The Lions fought back, pulling within one point at the 2:09 mark. Ashley Faux responded with five consecutive points to extend the lead before Arieona Rosborough added four points in the final six seconds for a 22-15 lead.
 
The Cru held the Lions to just seven points in the second quarter, extending the lead to double-digits halfway through the quarter. The Cru held on to a 20+ point lead through the half, going into halftime up 44-22.
 
UMHB shot 48.6 percent in the first half with Rosborough and Lauren Baker leading the Cru with 10 points. UMHB forced 17 turnovers in the first two periods with 10 total steals, led by Payton Hicks with four.
 
The Cru outscored the Lions 23-17 in the third quarter. UMHB shot 36.8 percent in the period with seven field goals and seven foul shots. UMHB cruised to a 38-point win from there, winning the fourth quarter 16-6.
 
UMHB shot 40.5 percent in the contest with 32 field goals. The Cru scored 28 points off turnovers with 40 points in the paint and 32 points from the bench. Arieona Rosborough led the Cru with 19 points, followed by Lauren Baker with 16. Payton Hicks added 10 points in the win as 11 different Crusaders added to the point total. Rosborough also led the Cru with seven rebounds while Jaycie Brisco had a team-high five assists and Rosborough and Hicks each recorded four steals.
 
The Cru returns to action on Monday, January 2^nd in a 2 p.m. game against University of California Santa Cruz at the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton.