The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team could not hold on to a late lead as the Cru saw its 10-game winning streak snapped in a 68-63 loss at McMurry University Saturday in Abilene. The loss drops the UMHB women to 14-3 overall and 7-2 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. The War Hawks improve to 9-6 overall and 7-2 in the ASC with the win.
McMurry opened the game with a 6-0 run, but UMHB battled back for an 11-10 lead after the first period. The Cru led by as many as nine points in the second before settling for a 34-27 halftime lead. The War Hawks finally retook the lead at 50-49 to end the third quarter, but two Hannah Holt free throws to open the final stanza gave the lead back to UMHB. McMurry snared the lead again on a three-pointer with 5:17 remaining, but Aubrie Elliott answered with a three of her own to make it 59-58 Cru with 4:58 to go. The two teams traded the lead two more times before the War Hawks took control with a 6-0 run. The Cru had two more chances to tie the game, but committed a turnover and missed a shot as McMurry iced the game from the free-throw line.
Hannah Holt led UMHB with 16 points and Elliott added 11 more off the bench. Kendall Rollins scored 10 points and Ashley Caldwell grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots in her first collegiate start. The Cru shot just 27 percent as a team in the fourth quarter and finished at 36 percent for the game. UMHB shot just six free throws in the second half and committed 18 turnovers in the loss.
Monica Jones led McMurry with 19 points and she was 4-7 from three-point range. Skyler Reyna added 17 points and 12 points. The War Hawks shot 39 percent from the field as a team and McMurry made as many free throws in the game as UMHB shot as a team.
UMHB will play its next five games at home at the Mayborn Campus Center. That home stand opens with a 2:00 PM tip-off against Concordia Texas next Saturday.
