Marshall, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team took control of the game in the second half and held off a late East Texas Baptist charge as the Cru posted a 76-64 victory over the Tigers Thursday night in Marshall. UMHB improves to 11-9 overall and 7-8 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops ETBU to 8-12 overall and 4-11 in the ASC on the season.

UMHB opened the game by scoring the first four points, but the Tigers stormed back and built as much as a 12-point lead in the first half. The Cru answered with a 9-0 run and trailed 35-30 at halftime. UMHB would tie the game at 39 early in the second half and the two teams traded the lead up to a 56-56 tie with 7:10 remaining in the contest. The Cru used a 13-3 run to grab a double-digit lead at 69-59 and the Tigers comeback bid would get them no closer than five points the rest of the way as UMHB stretched it out at the free throw line to ice the victory.

Alyssa Dean led the Cru with 26 points and Taylor Tucker added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Kourtney Bevers added 11 points off the bench as just seven players scored for

UMHB. The Cru shot 39 percent from the field and went 0-5 from three-point range. UMHB did out rebound the Tigers 54-36 and hit 20-27 free throws in the victory.

Amanda Rucker led ETBU with 16 points and seven boards. Amber Carver added 12 points before fouling out and April Leonard chipped in 10 more. The Tigers shot 36 percent as a team and only hit 4-19 from three-point range. ETBU went 12-16 from the free throw line.

The Cru women will close out their four-game road trip with a 1:00 PM start at LeTourneau University in Longview on Saturday. UMHB will then return home to host key ASC games against U.T.-Tyler and University of the Ozarks next week at the Mayborn Campus Center.