ABILENE, Texas – The McMurry women's basketball team took Arlington Baptist College – the nation's No. 1 ranked team in the NCCAA Division II national poll – to double-overtime, before losing a heartbreaking 83-81 decision at Kimbrell Arena.
 
After the first meeting between the teams – in which the War Hawks (3-20) lost by 34 points in Arlington – McM gave the visiting Patriots (17-5) all they could handle this time around. Not only did McM hang close with ABC, it built as much as a 16-point lead (29-13) after Mishae Roper canned a jumper with 5:10 left until the half.
 
The War Hawks would take a 33-22 cushion into the locker room.
 
McMurry still held a seven point advantage with 4:54 left in regulation, thanks to a layup by Adijatu Disu off a perfect feed from Haley Welch, 57-50.  The Patriots knotted the game at 61-61 with 1:10 remaining, but Roper untied the game with a layup of her own to put McM ahead, 63-61.  ABC converted a bucket with 34 seconds left that sent the contest into overtime.
 
In the first OT segment, McM lead 69-67 after a pair of free throws by Welch with 1:17 left.  The Patriots' Rosalyn Thorpe – who made a layup in regulation to send it to overtime for ABC - duplicated her feat with another lay-in basket with just 14 seconds left in the first extra period.  Disu missed a desperation jumper for McM and the teams went to a second overtime period, 69-69.
 
Arlington Baptist looked to be running away in the second OT, leading by six (82-76) with 1:08 left.  But the never-say-die War Hawks' team continued to fight the Patriots. Taylor Russell broke free for a layup with just under a minute on the clock. A charging foul by ABC's Jade Johnson turned the ball over to McM and Katlyn Tarbet took advantage by burying a three-point bucket that cut the deficit to a single point, 82-81, with 17 seconds left.
 
Unfortunately, after ABC added a free throw, Taylor Neal launched a three-point attempt that missed its mark. Ashley Hesseltine grabbed the offensive rebound, but McM could not get off another shot attempt as the clock expired on a great effort by the War Hawks' squad.
 
Roper led McMurry's scoring with 18 points on a 9-for-17 shooting game. Roper also pulled down nine rebounds and had two blocked shots before fouling out.
 
Russell continued her career year, registering a double-double of 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds (nine on the offensive glass), also giving four assists. Disu also tallied 15 points, while blocking four shots and notching seven rebounds.
 
Tayler Boroson's 10 points made her the fourth McM player with double-figure scoring totals.
 
Arielle Bermudez cleaned the glass for 10 rebounds off the bench for head coach William Milton's squad. Neal also grabbed seven caroms, while Tarbet passed off a career and game – best total of eight assists