University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Athletics

Box Score

Seguin, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women’s basketball team opened up a big first-half lead and then held on in the second half as the Cru women posted an 85-77 victory over Texas Lutheran University Thursday night in Seguin. UMHB improves to 12-4 overall and 9-3 in American Southwest Conference play with its eighth straight victory. The Cru women also take over sole possession of first place in the ASC West Division with the win. TLU falls to 8-7 overall and 7-5 in the ASC with the loss.

            The Cru fell behind early as TLU opened the game with a 7-3 run. UMHB responded with an 11-0 run to take a 14-7 lead. The Bulldogs would close to within two points on a couple of occasions before the Cru closed the half with a run to take a 43-31 halftime lead. TLU would close to within five early in the second half before a pair of Jessica Kelly free throws and a Stacie Stephens three-pointer pushed the lead back to ten. The Cru would then stretch the lead to 15 points at 74-59 with 5:59 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs would use the outside shooting of Kimberly Hagan and the inside play of Tamisha Timpson to cut the lead down to six at 76-70 with 2:48 left to play. Lindsay Eaton would answer with a lay-up for the Cru and UMHB would go on to ice the game from the free-throw line for the victory.

            Eaton had a monster game for the Cru, finishing with 14 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. Jessica Kelly added 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists for UMHB and Caitlin Barganier just missed a double-double of her own with 13 points and nine rebounds and she also chipped in five assists. Stephens and Kallie White also reached double figures with 12 points apiece for the Cru. Hagan led TLU with 35 points and she hit 7-12 from three-point range. Timpson added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs.

            UMHB shot 46 per cent from the field and went 12-23 from three-point range in the game. The Cru also out rebounded TLU 50-44 to help overcome 20 UMHB turnovers. The Bulldogs shot just 33 per cent from the field and was just 10-35 from beyond the arc in the game. The Cru also played without starting point guard Mallory McAdams, who missed the game with a shoulder injury.

            UMHB will now return home to host Schreiner University for a 1:00 PM start on Saturday at the Mayborn Campus Center. The Cru will then hit the road for a pair of crucial ASC West Division games next week in Abilene.