The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women’s basketball team fell behind by double figures just 3:35 into the game and the Cru never recovered in a 73-55 loss to 2nd-ranked Thomas More Monday night in Belton. The loss snaps UMHB’s season-opening win streak at 14 and drops the Cru to 14-1 on the year. The Saints improve to 22-0 on the season with the win.
Thomas More scored the first seven points of the game before Aubrie Elliott hit a lay-up for UMHB two minutes into the opening period. The Saints answered with a 9-0 run to stretch it out to 16-2 and the lead would grow to 32-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Cru would fight to cut the gap to 15 at two different times midway through the second quarter, but Thomas More would take it back out to 46-23 at halftime. The Saints lead would bounce between 20 and 26 points for most of the final half before UMHB was able to cut the lead to the final margin.
Hannah Holt topped the Cru with 19 points. Alicia Blackwell added 12 points and three assists for UMHB and Allaira Jones had a team-best four rebounds. The Cru was just 3-12 from the field in the first quarter and shot 36 percent for the game as a team. UMHB also committed 19 turnovers in the loss.
Emily Schulz led Thomas More with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Madison Temple had 16 points and Shelby Rupp scored 12 for the Saints. Thomas More shot 48 percent from the field as a team and out rebounded UMHB 39-25 with 15 of those boards coming on the offensive end.
The Cru will now open American Southwest Conference West Division play with a pair of home games later this week. UMHB will host Hardin-Simmons for a 5:30 pm tip-off on Thursday before taking on McMurry University in a 1 pm start on Saturday.
