BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team used a fourth-quarter surge to take down No. 2 Wartburg College Saturday in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 8-2 on the season while Wartburg (8-1) suffered its first loss in the 67-64 decision.
 
The Knights opened the contest with back-to-back jumpers in the first minute for a 4-0 lead. UMHB got on the board off a jumper from Rachel Okoye before the Knights went on a 12-2 run to go ahead by double-digits with 3:36 to play in the first quarter. Josie Bruder hit a pair of foul shots at 3:17 and Okoye hit a layup at 2:46 to cut the gap back to singles but Wartburg responded with a three-pointer for another double-digit margin. The Knights added a pair of jumpers before Brisco added one for the Cru at 00:33 for a 23-10 score after the first.
 
Wartburg extended the lead to 19 within the first minute of the second quarter and held the double-digit margin through the quarter, narrowly outscoring the Cru 22-21 in the frame.
 
The third quarter played scoreless until Rachel Okoye hit a jumper at 6:02. She added a steal less than 20 seconds later and another jumper to cut the gap down to 10. Wartburg responded with five unanswered points to take a 16-point margin but UMHB answered, holding the Knights scoreless for the remainder of the half. Karlee Cronk hit a jumper at 2:32, followed by a three-pointer from Josie Bruder at 1:55. Amillion Fowler added a three-pointer at 1:17 and Rachel Okoye hit a jumper at 18 seconds to pull the Cru within six at the end of the third.
 
UMHB opened the fourth with seven unanswered points to take their first lead of the game at 7:49. Wartburg responded with a three-pointer but Brisco put the Cru back on top with her second three-pointer of the quarter at 7:08. UMHB's defense held the Knights scoreless on their next two possessions and added five points off shots from Brisco and Bruder for a 62-56 lead.
 
Wartburg cut the gap to five with 2:54 to play but a pair of Brisco foul shots extended the lead back to seven. Jaedon Murphy hit a three-pointer with 1:50 to play, cutting the game back to a one-possession contest. The frame went scoreless for more than a minute after that before Okoye made it a two-possession contest with a free throw at 00:44.
 
Lauren Woeste hit a three-pointer for WC with 36 seconds to play, quickly followed by a free throw from Josie Bruder. Wartburg hit another jumper with 11 seconds to go, cutting the game to just two points. A missed free throw and defensive rebound later gave UMHB the ball back with nine seconds to play. Jaycie Brisco hit one foul shot to put the Cru up by three as UMHB outlasted the Knights 67-64.  
 
Rachel Okoye led the Cru with 22 points in the contest, draining 10 shots from the field. Jaycie Brisco added 17 points while Katelen Brooks scored 10. UMHB shot 41 percent in the contest with a 66.7 percent showing in the fourth. Brisco recorded a double-double with 14 boards while she and Okoye each added a team-high four assists. Karlee Cronk led the Cru with three steals as UMHB forced 16 turnovers in the contest.
 
UMHB returns to action on Wednesday, December 18^th in a 4 p.m. contest against McMurry University at the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton.