ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University's women's basketball team notched its first American Southwest Conference victory of the season by knocking off East Texas Baptist University, 84-77, at Kimbrell Arena. The War Hawks (2-3, 1-1 ASC) rode the two-fisted efforts of senior Haley Welch and junior Sham Hunter in defeating the Tigers (0-6, 0-2 ASC).
 
After a first quarter which found McM clinging to a slim lead, 14-13, the hosts exploded behind Welch in the second.  Welch tallied 14 of her 19 first-half points in the period and pushed the War Hawks to a 46-35 halftime advantage. She would finish the game with 26 points, hitting 9-of-17 from the floor – including three from beyond the arc – and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the line.
 
Welch also had four assists, two blocks and five steals.
 
In the second half, McMurry achieved its largest lead of the game, 19 points, with 1:28 left in the quarter on a pair of Welch free throws, 64-45. However, the Tigers were not about to go quietly and clawed back in the fourth. From that juncture in the third through the 2:19 mark of the fourth, ETBU outscored McM by a 28-8 margin and took a 73-72 lead.
 
 
The Tigers still led 75-74 entering the final minute of play. But that's when Hunter made the Tigers the hunted.  In the final 43 seconds of the game, Hunter would score all 10 of the War Hawks' points to seal the victory, 84-77.
 
Hunter scored 14 of her game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter alone. Hunter hit 9-of-11 from the field and was 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. She also made five steals and pulled down five rebounds.
 
Skyler Reyna also grabbed five boards. Reyna was also McM's only other double-figure scorer with 13 points.
 
Freshman guard Isabel Carrion led all rebounders with six caroms. She also booked seven points and had a team-best five assists.
 
Kaymee Howell and London Weilert added six and five points, respectively, to round out the War Hawks' scoring.