DALLAS, Texas – McMurry University women's basketball team received a solid, all-around effort as it won a 62-55 road bout at Dallas Christian College. The win snapped the War Hawks' (2-6) two-game skid, while the Crusaders fell to 2-8.
 
For McM first-year head coach Brittany Densman-Roes, the victory was a welcome respite for her team.
 
"It feels good," Densman-Roes said. "Your head's banging against the wall one minute and then you look up and you have a 15 point lead. It's nice because we had to fight hard; we are continuing to grow and turn corners. We overcame adversity – like we've been doing for about a month – and we call a win 'sugar'…and it's good to taste some 'sugar' right now.
 
"Our bench play has been so supportive. Last week we had big bench play. Bench play is so important and I think that's what hurt us the past couple nights (when McM suffered losses). Tonight was a 100-percent team effort and team win."
 
Senior Sierra Maykus led all scorers with 18 points – draining three from beyond the arc – but really picked up points at the line. Maykus was 9-for-10 in free throw attempts. She also dished off a game-leading five assists.
 
Fellow senior Taylor Russell booked her fifth double-double of the year, thanks another steady performance where she scored 15 points and had 13 rebounds. Russell made just two shots from the field, but continued her torrid efforts from the charity stripe by connecting on 11-of-12 shots.
 
Sham Hunter, a sophomore transfer, also had a double-double (her first as a War Hawk), by scoring 12 points and corralling 12 rebounds. Hunter was an efficient 4-for-6 from the field.
 
Freshman Amye Templeton – who moved into a starting role after a blistering scoring pace off the bench previously – tallied eight points.
 
McMurry trailed by a basket – 14-12 – after one quarter, but blitzed the Crusaders in the second period, 26-7, to take a 38-21 advantage into the halftime locker room. DCC would out score McM in each of the final two quarters, but could not overcome the McMurry cushion.
 
"It was another good and complete game," Densman-Roes said of the win. "We had some droughts, but weathered it a little sooner than we had the last couple games. Our defense is learning several different things now and everyone's starting to grasp it."