BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women’s basketball team dominated the second half as the 12th-ranked Cru demolished 25th-ranked Austin College 96-65 Saturday night in Belton. UMHB continues the best start in program history by improving to 12-0 on the season. The Kangaroos fall to 9-2 on the year with the loss.
Austin College would lead 31-30 with 3:36 left in the second quarter before UMHB closed the half with a 10-0 run to build a 40-31 halftime lead. That hot stretch continued as the Cru scored the first eight points of the second half and UMHB would open up a 25-point lead late in the third period. The Kangaroos never got closer than 26 points in the final period as hot shooting carried the Cru to the easy victory.
Hannah Holt led a balanced Cru scoring effort with 15 points and she added six rebounds. Madison McCoy and Kendall Rollins had 14 points apiece and McCoy added five assists. Aubrie Elliott chipped in 13 points, A’Lexiss Benton added a career-high 12 and Alicia Blackwell also reached double figures with 10 points. UMHB shot 67 percent in the third quarter and hit 69 percent in the fourth as the Cru finished at 52 percent shooting for the game. UMHB also hit 12-26 from three-point range and forced 22 turnovers.
Bryce Frank had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead Austin College. Reagan Chiaverini added 12 points off the bench. Austin College shot just 35 percent from the field and went 6-20 from beyond the arc. The Roos did out rebound UMHB 42-20 and pulled down 19 offensive rebounds in the loss.
UMHB will return to action with a pair of American Southwest Conference contests on the road next week. The Cru will take on Belhaven University Thursday in Mississippi before facing Louisiana College next Saturday in Pineville.