Richardson, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's basketball team had chances in the final seconds but could not get the game winner to fall as East Texas Baptist University edged the Cru 71-70 in Championship Game of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Saturday in Richardson. UMHB falls to 23-5 with the loss. The Tigers improve to 22-6 on the year and clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships by winning their first ASC title.
The Cru led 42-40 at the half but ETBU scored first in the third quarter. UMHB responded and opened up a five-point lead at 50-45. The Cru missed out on three chances to extend the lead and Kim Childress came off the bench to spark the Tigers with six quick points. The two teams were tied at 56 after three periods. ETBU opened the fourth with a 5-0 run and led by as many as five points on three occasions. UMHB pulled to within 69-68 on Meghan Turner's three-pointer with 2:40 to go. It would stay that way until Haven Neal's jumper in the lane put the Cru up 70-69 with 33.8 seconds remaining. Childress knocked down a lay-up 20 seconds later to give ETBU a 71-70 lead. UMHB missed a short jumper on the next possession but was able to steal a Tiger inbounds pass with 1.5 seconds to go. The Cru could not get off a shot as time expired.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair. ETBU scored the game's first five points and held the Cru scoreless for 3:24 before Aubrie Elliott hit a lay-up. The Tigers grabbed an early 8-2 advantage. Elliott would go on to score UMHB's first six points. Addison Floyd's three-pointer gave the Cru its first lead at 11-10 with 4:07 left in the opening period. UMHB would lead 19-17 after the first quarter thanks to Alicia Blackwell's three-pointer with 36 seconds left. Katy Boren's long-range shooting helped ETBU keep pace as she hit three triples. The Cru built its biggest lead of the opening half at 42-37 on two Hannah Holt free-throws with 29 seconds to go, but Madison McCoy's three-pointer with 11 seconds left cut it to 42-40 at the break. Elliott had 12 points in the first half for UMHB and McCoy and Boren scored 11 points apiece for the Tigers. There were seven lead changes and five ties through the first 20 minutes of play. The Cru shot 67 percent from the field as a team in the second period and shot 56 percent in the first half. ETBU shot 47 percent overall and went 7-12 from three-point range in the opening half of play.
Holt led the Cru with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Elliott added 16 points off the bench on 7-10 shooting. Blackwell and Neal finished with ten points apiece. UMHB shot 49 percent as a team and was 12-12 from the free-throw line. The Cru also out rebounded ETBU 30-28 in the game.
Boren topped ETBU with 14 points and Childress added 13 off the bench. McCoy finished with 11 points as ten different players scored for the Tigers. ETBU shot 48 percent from the field and hit 11-24 from three-point range in the victory.
The Cru women were playing in the ASC Championship Game for the fourth time in program history. UMHB will now have to hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships when the field is announced on Monday at 1:30 PM on ncaa.com. Holt and Blackwell were named to the ASC Championship Tournament All-Tournament Team from the Cru.