SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Hardin-Simmons' women's basketball team overcame an eight-point second-half deficit and held on for a 76-72 win over Trinity in the Trinity Christmas Classic on Wednesday afternoon at Sams Gym in San Antonio.

The first half of the game was hotly contested and featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes with no one having a lead bigger than four points until the final minute of the half. Trinity scored the last seven points of the half in the final 1:21 to take a 42-35 lead at halftime.

Trinity pushed the lead out to 43-35, but HSU used a 15-3 run from the 18:48 mark to the14:16 mark to take the lead that they would not relinquish. In that run Alexis Popelar scored nine points.

Trinity would battle back and HSU led 52-50 with 11:37 to play, but Lindsey Newcombe went off for 12 straight points for the Cowgirls as part of a 12-4 run to make it 64-54 with 8:08 to play. HSU pushed the lead to 70-56 with six minutes to play, but Trinity would not go away.

Danielle Hubenak scored 13 of her team-best 17 points in the final 5:25 of the game to lead a Trinity rally, but HSU held them off. Jana Tucker added 15, Anne Waidelich had 14 points and leading scorer Abby Dietert was held to just 11 points, nine points under her season average.

Lindsey Newcombe became the American Southwest Conference's all-time leading rebounder in the game as she collected 16 rebounds. She now has 1,030 for her career putting her past former McMurry All-American Tarra Richarcdson. She led the Cowgirls with 24 points.

Jasmine Lewis had 20 points for HSU and Popelar added 15.

HSU is now 8-1 on the year. Trinity fell to 3-6 overall. HSU's Thursday game with Union (N.Y.) has been canceled as Union could not get to Texas because of the blizzard in the northeast. The game will not be rescheduled. HSU returns to action on Jan. 6 at home against nationally-ranked Louisiana College.

--- HSU ---