Box Score
Tarra Richardson scored 27 points and Callie Williams pitched in a career-high 10 points as McMurry won its 11th consecutive game Saturday afternoon at Kimbrell Arena by beating Mary Hardin-Baylor 66-44. The McMurry defense held UMHB to its lowest point total of the season and the Crusaders shot just 36.7 percent from the floor.
With the win, No. 8 McMurry remains tied atop the American Southwest Conference West Division with No. 2 Howard Payne. McMurry is 13-1 on the season and has a flawless 10-0 mark in league play.
Richardson shot 10 of 20 from the floor and was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. She is now just 42 points away from becoming the all-time leader in scoring for the American Southwest Conference. Mississippi College's Lacey Kennedy scored 1,890 points in her career; Richardson had 1,849 through Saturday's win over UMHB.
Mary Hardin-Baylor who had been on the verge of becoming a solid team in the ASC West Division still can't seem to get by the big three. Hardin-Simmons beat UMHB Thursday and then McMurry caused the Crusaders to fall to 8-6 overall and 6-4 in the ASC West.
Sasha Monreal and Landie Thompson scored 11 and 10 points respectively in the loss. However, the Crusaders had 28 turnovers and were just 6 of 14 from the free-throw line.
McMurry was an impressive 11 of 13 from the free-throw line and was 25 of 63 from the field. Williams, the sophomore from Ballinger hit two 3-pointers and had four rebounds. Her 10 points passed her previous career-high of nine points last year during her freshman year.
Dominique Brown flirted with the school's single-game steals record. Ogonna Merritt had 12 as a player in 1997. Brown had seven in the first half and was on pace to break the record, but she didn't have a steal in the second half. Even still it is a season-high for her and anyone else on the McMurry team.
McMurry will turn its attention to Hardin-Simmons. After a rare blowout over the Cowgirls Dec. 8, HSU has rebounded and has won nine-straight contests. If McMurry wins, it will remain in a first-place tie with HPU, if HSU wins, McM and HSU will be tied for second place in the ASC West heading into the second half of the season.
Monday the cross-town rivals will square off at 5:30 p.m. for the important matchup. The two schools and the Kiwanis Club of Abilene have teamed up to bring the 11th annual Kiwanis Club Shootout, which benefits the Children's Miracle Network.
