Austin, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team went cold from the field in the second half and could not overcome that dry spell in a 61-55 loss at Concordia Texas Saturday in Austin. The loss drops the Cru women to 19-4 overall and 12-3 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. The Tornados improve to 13-10 overall and 9-6 in the ASC with their sixth consecutive victory. 

UMHB controlled most of the first quarter and jumped out to a 20-12 lead. The Tornados closed that period with a 5-0 run and built a four-point lead early in the second. The Cru battled back and took a 36-34 halftime as Hannah Holt buried a three-pointer with 22 seconds left. UMHB shot just 24 percent from the field in the third quarter as the Tornados grabbed a 54-49 lead at the end of the period. The lead would grow to ten points as the Cru went 4:41 without scoring to open the final quarter. UMHB closed to within 60-55 with 1:54 left to play, but missed its final four shots from the field as Concordia held on for the win despite making just two baskets of its own in the final ten minutes of play.

Holt and Kendall Rollins led the Cru with 17 points apiece and Rollins added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Haven Neal and Aubrie Elliott added eight points each but only two other players scored for UMHB. The Cru shot just 29 percent as a team and went 0-4 from three-point range and 0-2 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. UMHB finished 7-22 from beyond the arc and 10-16 from the stripe for the game.

Jaela Dejean led CTX with 13 points and she added eight assists and five steals. Kaycie Dunkerly added 12 points and Mercedes Ellison had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Tornados were just 2-11 from the field in the final period and 3-8 from the free-throw line. Concordia did not score a basket in the final 6:47 of the game as the two teams combined for just 13 points in the fourth. CTX shot 39 percent for the game and out rebounded the Cru 48-40 in the victory.

UMHB will close out the regular season with road games at Sul Ross State next Thursday and at Howard Payne on Saturday. The Cru needs just one more win to clinch its first ASC West Division championship since 2010 and lock up a #1 seed in the ASC Championship Tournament.