ABILENE, Texas — Howard Payne used a 28-9 run over the final 6:46 to rally past Hardin-Simmons in women's basketball American Southwest Conference action at the Mabee Complex in Abilene on Saturday afternoon.

All three of the Cowgirls losses on the season (all at home) have had a very eerily similar feeling. HSU allowed a 20-6 run late by UTD , HSU allowed a 20-7 run by Louisiana College to close out the game and today's 28-9 run. HSU had the lead or trailed by just one basket in all three of those games with seven minutes to play.

Each team had a big run in a competitive first half. Howard Payne opened up a 27-18 lead in the first half with a 12-3 run to make it 27-18 with 8:03 to play. HSU answered that run immediately with a 9-2 spurt of its own to tie it 29-29 with 4:12 to play in the first half. The teams went back and forth the rest of the half and HSU led 36-33 at halftime.

The second half was played tightly and HPU led 56-54 with 6:46 to play, but the Lady Jackets had the big run. Kayla Scott and Tresta Donahooo, both bench players, had three 3-pointers in the run with Scott starting it with back-to-back triples. HPU's bench outscored the Cowgirls bench 34-5.

Lindsey Newcombe was again stellar for the Cowgirls with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Coco Cartwright added 18 points and Alexis Popelar added 11.

Scott, who had nine 3-pointers on the year going into the game, had four 3-pointers and had 16 points to tie Brittany Roberson for the team lead. Clarissa Krum had 15 points and Donahoo added 11 for HPU.  

The Cowgirls are now 10-3 overall and 7-3 in ASC action. Howard Payne is 10-5 overall and 7-4 in ASC play. HSU goes on the road to play Concordia and Mary Hardin-Baylor next weekend.

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