Tyler, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team used Macy Moore's huge day to hold off a scrappy University of the Ozarks team as the Cru posted an 81-72 victory over the Eagles in the first round of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Friday in Tyler. UMHB improves to 17-9 on the season with the win and advances to a 1:00 PM Semifinal on Saturday against the winner of Friday's U.T.-Dallas/Concordia Texas quarterfinal. The loss ends Ozarks' season at 10-16 overall.

The Cru opened the game with a 10-3 run, but Ozarks battled back to tie it at 12. UMHB pushed it back to 42-30 with 2:22 remaining in the first half, but settled for a 45-39 lead at the break. The Cru stretched the lead into double figures again at 55-45 with 12:05 left to play, but Ozarks again made a run, cutting it to 65-61 with 6:06 to go. Moore wrapped two three-pointers around an Eagles free-throw to make it a nine-point game and the Cru held on from there to cruise to the victory.

Moore topped UMHB with 21 points and 10 rebounds and she hit 4-5 from three-point range. Alyssa Dean had 18 points on 7-11 shooting and Jonelle Smith chipped in with 14 points. Bridjai Chaney and Jovana Miles combined for 17 rebounds for UMHB, as well. The Cru shot 41 percent from the field, but hit 7-13 from beyond the arc while forcing 20 Ozarks turnovers in the victory.

Kindra Davis had a game-high 22 points to lead the Eagles and she also pulled down 15 rebounds. Taylor Farmer and Tamara Wilkett added 13 points apiece and Ashley Hipps scored 10 for Ozarks. The Eagles shot 39 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range. Ozarks also held a slight rebounding edge at 46-44 over UMHB.

The Cru was picked to finish ninth in the ASC in the league's Preseason Coaches' and Media Poll, but is the #3 seed in the ASC Tournament. UMHB is in the Second Round of the ASC Tournament for the first time since the 2010 event. The 17 victories are the most for the Cru since UMHB went 21-6 in the 2009-10 season.