BROWNWOOD, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team earned an 85-60 win over Howard Payne University Saturday afternoon in Brownwood. The win improved the Cru to 15-6 on the season and 10-4 in American Southwest Conference action while the Yellow Jackets fell to 2-19 overall and 0-14 in league play.
 
UMHB opened the game with a 10-3 run in the first quarter, led by Ashley Faux with four points. The Yellow Jackets responded with a 5-0 run to cut the gap to two points. Katelen Brooks hit a three-pointer at 1:29 to give the Cru a five-point advantage. UMHB held on to that lead, going into the second quarter up 16-15.
 
The Cru extended the lead to 10 points at the 7:17 mark in the second quarter off a free throw from Arieona Rosborough. UMHB went into halftime up 41-27, scoring 16 points in the paint and eight points off turnovers.
 
Rosborough opened the second half with a layup at 8:41 as the Cru held on to a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter. Howard Payne cut the lead to 12 points halfway through the fourth quarter but UMHB's defense responded, allowing the Yellow Jackets just five points in the final 6:17 of action.
 
Ashley Faux led the Cru with 22 points, followed by Rosborough with 15. McCall Hampton and Catalina Cortez also added double-digit scoring performances while Faux completed a double-double with 10 rebounds. UMHB shot 44 percent in the contest and 30.4 percent from beyond the arc. Eleven different Crusaders scored points for UMHB as the Cru went 33-75 from the field.
 
UMHB returns to action on Thursday, February 9^th in a 5:30 p.m. contest against the University of Texas at Dallas. Admission to regular season games at Mayborn Campus Center is free.