Box Score

ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University lost its second-straight game with a loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor Thursday night at Kimbrell Arena. The Crusaders, visiting from Belton, took a 73-62 victory over McMurry to maintain its lead in the American Southwest Conference West Division standings.

Lindsay Eaton scored 24 points on 10 of 19 shooting and grabbed six rebounds for the Lady Crusaders who moved to 11-3 in league play and 13-5 overall. Eaton's fellow starters Kallie White and Stacie Stephens each had 10 points apiece.

McMurry never led in the ball game and the Lady Crusaders built as much as an 18-point lead in the second half with Eaton hit a pair of free throws to give UMHB a 56-38 advantage with 10:41 remaining. However, McMurry countered in made the game more competitive when Kelsey Lindemuth stole the ball with 2:42 left and laid it in to cut the Crusader lead to eight points at 65-57. But that would be as close as the score would get; UMHB hit six consecutive free throws and got a bucket from Caitlin bargainer in the final 2:07 to seal the game.

McMurry shot just 30 percent in the first half on a 9 of 30 effort and had it not been for Lindemuth, who shot 4 of 7, the percentage would have been 22 percent. UMHB dominated from the paint in the opening half scoring 20 of its 32 points from inside.

UMHB finished 44.4 percent from the floor on 28 of 63 shooting while McMurry finished at 35 percent. Lindemuth finished with 17 points to lead McMurry and LaPorsha Alexander scored 14 points off the bench.

McMurry fell to 10-7 overall and 7-6 in league play; the team had won seven-straight games before nationally-ranked Howard Payne defeated them Saturday and the Crusaders handed the team its first home loss Thursday.

McMurry fell into a tie for fourth place in the ASC West after Hardin-Simmons defeated Concordia-Texas Thursday night. HSU and McMurry will swap opponents Saturday and CTX and McMurry square off at 1 p.m.