SEGUIN, Texas – A venue switch yielded the same result for the McMurry University women's basketball team, losing a hard-fought decision, 82-66, to Texas Lutheran University at Memorial Gym. The War Hawks (3-7) lost the back-to-back series to the Bulldogs (7-2), also dropping the contest in Abilene last Saturday.
The last meeting saw McM lead in the early going and then get buried in a second-quarter barrage. However, this time it was McMurry which carried the lead into the halftime locker room, 39-37. The War Hawks' "Achilles Heel" proved to be the second half, as the host TLU team out-scored McM by seven in the third quarter and 11 in the final stanza.
The War Hawks still held the lead, 42-40, early in the third period on a trey from
Sham Hunter. But back-to-back baskets by the Bulldogs' Cierra Jordan gave the hosts the lead for good, sparking a 17-6 run by TLU over a six minute span to make it 57-48.
Hunter had another big game, booking a game-leading 18 points. Hunter was 5-of-12 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. She narrowly missed a double-double by grabbing nine rebounds, while also dishing off three assists and making two steals.
Newcomer
Skyler Reyna had the hot shooting hand for McM, going a blistering 7-for-9 from the field, finishing the day with 16 points. Reyna also chipped in five rebounds and a block in the 31 minutes on the floor.
No other McMurry player found double-digit scoring. Three players –
Haley Welch,
Kaymee Howell and
Mackenzie Kimball – each tallied six points. Conversely, the Bulldogs managed five players in double figures.
Howell also had three assists for the War Hawks.
Isabel Carrion and
Sarah Doherty were each credited with a pair of steals.
As a team, McMurry shot a creditable 40 percent (25-62) from the field. However, the Bulldogs hit 50 percent (29-58) of their field goal tries. TLU had a 42-32 advantage on points in the paint.
The War Hawks will play their final pre-Christmas game on Wednesday (Dec. 21) at Kimbrell Arena, hosting Northern New Mexico College with a 3 p.m. tip.
