Box Score
ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University's women's basketball team overcame its early-game shooting woes, regrouping in time to notch its fifth-consecutive victory, 57-55, over Texas Lutheran University. The win improved the War Hawks to 13-5 overall and 11-3 in American Southwest Conference action.
 
While the first half likely wouldn't earn any style points for the War Hawks, the McMurry team overcame a poor shooting start to lead at the intermission, 32-25. McM began 0-for-13 from the field before a three-pointer by Katlyn Tarbet (6 points) found the bottom of the net at the 13:36 mark of the opening stanza for the War Hawks' first bucket.
 
McM finished the first half shooting 10-of-42.
 
Among the other statistical oddities in the first period was that McMurry leading scorer Keshia Collins started the game going 0-7 shooting and was just  one-of-11 from the floor, but yet was nearing a double-double at the intermission with nine points and eight rebounds.
 
Teammate M.J. Vickers was also close to a double-double by halftime, booking nine points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
 
Both would eventually finish the afternoon with double-doubles, as Collins had 12 points and 12 boards – despite making just two field goals (in 16 tries) – and Vickers closing the day with 11 points and 14 caroms. Vickers also had a team-leading five steals, while Collins passed off for five assists.
 
Guard Rikeita Thomas led McMurry's scoring with 13 points. Thomas hit six-of-10 shots from the field, the only McM player who shot better than 50 percent from the floor.
 
While holding the lead the entire second half, the War Hawks could never quite shake the pesky Bulldogs. The McMurry team shot just under 30 percent and – with TLU hitting nearly 47 percent of its shots – allowed the guests to remain within striking distance. 
 
However, as has been the case most of the season, anther stellar defensive effort kept the Bulldogs caged up in the second half. The War Hawks forced TLU into 24 turnovers and made 13 steals, while also blocking three shots.
 
Conversely, McMurry had just 12 turnovers in the game, with the Bulldogs getting just four steals.
 
McMurry  pulled ahead by six points with just 18 seconds left when Celeste Belizario made a layup and was fouled. Belizario – who was held scoreless the first half and finished with five points – also converted the free throw for what would eventually provide the margin of victory for her team, after TLU canned a long trey as the final buzzer went off for the 57-55 final.
 
“It was a struggle offensively,” McM head coach Veronica Snow said. “I felt like we were patient, but when those outside shots aren't falling against that type of zone you tend to struggle just a little bit.
 
“I was pleased we did hit enough to win; we shot enough to win. I think the big difference was our offensive rebounding. Without that, we may not have done it.”