Abilene, TX— The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team scored the game's first six points, but the Cru could not hold that early lead in a 63-47 loss to Hardin-Simmons University Thursday evening in Abilene. The loss drops the UMHB women to 2-14 overall and 1-11 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. The Cowgirls improve to 7-8 overall and 5-6 in the ASC on the year with the victory.

Carmen Maciel opened the scoring with a lay-up and UMHB added a Jovana Miles jumper and two free-throws from Brittany Zamora to take a 6-0 lead. Hardin-Simmons answered with an 11-0 run to take the lead and the Cowgirls never looked back. The lead would grow to double figures at 20-9 with 9:21 remaining in the first half and HSU would hold a 32-23 lead at the half. UMHB could not cut the lead to less than seven points in the second half while shooting just 28 percent from the field as HSU coasted to the win.

Zamora led the Cru with 14 points and Miranda Shorter added 10 points. Miles pulled down 10 rebounds and Ashlee Adams added eight more off the bench. The Cru shot just 29 percent from the field and went 2-11 from three-point range.

Angela Newcombe and Alexis Popelar led the Cowgirls with 14 points apiece. Coco Cartwright added 11 points and Jasmine Lewis and Kara Looten chipped in 10 points each. Looten also grabbed a team-best 10 boards to post a double-double. HSU shot 52 percent in the first half and finished at 44 percent for the game. The Cowgirls also out rebounded UMHB 51-37 in the game.

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