SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The McMurry women's basketball team came out on the short end of a 63-48 score at the No. 19-ranked team for NCAA Division III – Trinity University – at Sams Gymnasium to close out its pre-Christmas games. The War Hawks (2-8) battled the perennially-strong Tigers (8-1) hard throughout the contest.
 
McMurry led the nationally-ranked TU team after the first quarter, 11-10. Haley Welch and Amye Templeton each had a three-ball in the opening segment. The War Hawks led 11-7 with 2:52 left in the period after Taylor Russell was fouled while making a jumper and converted the subsequent free throw.
 
In the second, TU eventually caught and overtook the McM team at 16-15 with 6:30 left until the half. The Tigers would extend that advantage eight points on three occasions in the period, including the 31-23 halftime score.
 
TU scored the first five points of the third period, until a short jumper by Chelsie Lail got the War Hawks their first points of the period at the 6:20 juncture, 36-25.  But the Tigers would go on a 6-0 run over the next three minutes to pull ahead 42-25.  McM whittled away at the deficit slightly and a trey by Sierra Maykus in the waning seconds help McM make it 45-32 to close the period.
 
Another Templeton bucket from beyond the arc got her team to within 10 points – 47-37 – at the 8:18 mark on an assist from Lail. But TU would flex its muscles down the stretch, leading by as much as 19 points, 59-40, with 3:30 remaining to play.
 
McM senior Taylor Russell shared high point honors with the freshman Templeton, as each booked 12 points. Russell notched her team-leading seventh double-double of the year by also corralling a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
Templeton did all of her damage from long distance, going 4-of-11 from the field And all from three-point range.
 
Another senior, Sierra Maykus, added nine points with all three of her baskets also coming from three-point country. Junior guard Haley Welch accounted for her team's eighth trey of the game for her points.
 
Sophomore Sham Hunter was held to six points, but pulled down 12 boards for her third double-digit total in rebounding this season. Hunter also gave off three assists and made three steals.
 
Freshman Chelsie Lail contributed six points to round out McM's scoring. Fellow first-year player Alex McIntosh chipped in five rebounds, as well.
 
The War Hawks will next be in action on New Year's Eve day at NCAA II Angelo State University, with a 2 p.m. tipoff in San Angelo.