Brownwood, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team kept it close in the early going but could not keep it up in the second half as the Cru fell to Louisiana College 92-52 in the opening round of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Friday. LC improves to 23-3 and advances to a 2:00 PM Semifinal game on Saturday with the victory.

UMHB scored the game's first three points and led 15-14 with 11:47 left in the first half. The Wildcats answered with a 30-16 run to close the half for a 44-31 halftime lead. The Cru would be within 16 at 52-36 with 17:32 left to play, but LC went on a 15-0 run and UMHB never recovered.

Samara Williams topped the Cru with 17 points. Taylor Tucker added 11 points and 10 rebounds and Kourtney Bevers also pulled down ten boards for UMHB. The Cru shot just 33 percent from the field and turned the ball over 35 times. UMHB did out rebound the Wildcats 51-41 in the loss.

Natosha Gottlieb had a monster game for LC, leading all scorers with 38 points on 14-23 shooting. Neka Jones and Shaina Howard chipped in 11 points each for the Wildcats. Louisiana College shot 43 percent from the field and hit 13 three-pointers.

The loss ends UMHB's season at 8-17. The game also closes out the playing career of lone Cru senior Brandy Dittert. UMHB was playing in the ASC Tournament for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.