GEORGETOWN - Despite a great defensive effort, the Southwestern women's basketball team fell just short to the Mary Hardin-Baylor Cru by the score of 60-56 on Tuesday afternoon at the Robertson Center.
Both teams shot 29% from the field with the Pirates holding UMHB to 1 of 17 shooting from downtown. Southwestern connected on three 3-pointers, but were only 13 of 23 from the free throw like (57%) while the Cru were 19 of 25 (76%). The Pirates outrebounded the Cru 57-41 and got 21 points from their bench. However, Southwestern turned it over 18 times to UMHB's 11.
Southwestern jumped out to an 11-6 lead early in the first quarter and were able to push their lead out to 16-10, eventually earning a 16-12 lead after one period.
The Pirates continued to lead throughout most of the second quarter before the Cru stormed back to tie it at 23 midway through the second quarter, eventually taking their first lead of the game at the 5:17 mark. The two teams battled back-and-forth for the remainder of the period, exchanging the lead, but UMHB took a 30-29 lead into the break.
The Cru pushed their lead to as many as five and led throughout the entire third quarter. They took a 48-44 lead into the final period.
Southwestern opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run to take the lead back at 50-48. UMHB came back and scored the next four points to take a 52-50 lead. From there, it was a back-and-forth affair with the Cru leading 57-56 with 2:26 to play. From there, turnovers and missed shots doomed the Pirates as UMHB won it at the free throw line for the four point win.
Sophomore Cecily Woolfolk had a monster first half with 17 points and finished with 21 total points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Noel Pratts scored 10 points off the bench to go with a pair of steals. Junior Tori Carraway pulled down 12 rebounds to go with four points while senior Brooke Swift added four assists. Junior Kelsey Faykus scored four points and added six rebounds off the bench while sophomore Naomi Brown added five rebounds.
Hannah Holt led UMHB with 23 points while Alicia Blackwell added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Southwestern goes to 2-6 overall and will return to action tomorrow afternoon as they welcome in Hardin-Simmons for a 3 PM tip-off from the Robertson Center.
