Brownwood, TX— The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team fell behind by double digits midway through the first half and the Cru could not claw its way out of that early hole in a 77-57 loss to Howard Payne University Thursday evening in Brownwood. The loss drops the Cru women to 3-17 overall and 2-14 in American Southwest Conference play and also officially eliminates UMHB from contention for a berth in the ASC Championship Tournament. Howard Payne improves to 17-3 overall and 13-3 in the ASC with the victory.

Howard Payne scored seven of the game's first nine points and UMHB would never lead in the contest. The Yellow Jackets first double-digit lead came at 22-11 with 10:32 remaining in the first half. HPU stretched out from there and led 47-20 at halftime. The lead would grow to as many as 30 points in the second half and the Cru could not get closer than 19 points the rest of the way.

Brittany Zamora led UMHB with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Lauren Reece added 11 points off the bench on 3-5 shooting from three-point range. Miranda Shorter had nine for the Cru. UMHB shot just 24 percent in the first half and finished at 31 percent for the game. The Cru was 5-23 from three-point range and committed 23 turnovers.

Brittany Roberson and Dana Marrs led a balanced Howard Payne scoring attack with 13 points apiece. Fifteen different players scored for the Yellow Jackets and Roshonda Gayden pulled down a team-best six rebounds. HPU shot 43 percent from the field and made more than twice as many free-throws as UMHB, going 25-31 from the stripe compared to 12-19 for the Cru.

The Cru will wrap up its road trip with a 1:00 PM tip-off against Sul Ross State on Saturday. The UMHB women will then return home to host Hardin-Simmons University and McMurry University next Thursday and Saturday at the Mayborn Campus Center.