ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University women's basketball led wire-to-wire in its crosstown game versus rival Hardin-Simmons University, scoring a 70-60 American Southwest Conference win.  A crowd of 940 largely War Hawks (11-7, 9-3 ASC) faithful witnessed their team dispatch of the Cowgirls (4-15, 2-10 ASC) in an ASC West division battle at Kimbrell Arena.
 
But the win was not without its anxious moments for McM, despite leading the entire way. McMurry lead at the half, 34-26, and extended that to a 59-42 margin by the end of the third quarter. The War Hawks led by as many as 19 points, 55-36, after a pair of Isabel Carrion free throws with 1:54 left in the third stanza.
 
The Cowgirls began to chip away at the big McM lead to open the fourth.  HSU out-scored the War Hawks during a 22-4 run the first eight minutes of the period, to get to within an uncomfortable five points (63-58). McMurry would not permit the visitors to get any closer, however, closing matters out with the ten-point victory over its neighbors from the north side of town.
 
Sophomore forward Skyler Reyna led all scorers with 19 points, hitting 8-of-12 from the floor. Reyna also snagged a game-best 12 rebounds to register her ninth double-double of the year and seventh in the past eight games.
 
Reyna also extended her string of games with double-digit scoring to 11.
 
Senior guard Sham Hunter also had a double-double for the night.  Hunter was one of three War Hawks scoring 10 points in the game, while also grabbing 11 caroms for her fifth double-double of 2017-18. Hunter passed off for four assists and made four steals.
 
Carrion and Chyna Washington – a freshman making her first collegiate start – were the other two McM players with 10 points. Each had three steals, with Carrion making three thefts, as well. 
 
Sophomore Sarah Doherty contributed eight points and hauled in six rebounds. Doherty had a pair of baskets from beyond the arc.
 
McM held a commanding advantage in the rebounds department, pulling down 46 boards compared to 33 for the Cowgirls.
 
The War Hawks will next host Arlington Baptist University in a non-conference bout on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Arlington Baptist is currently the top-ranked team in the National Christian College Athletic Association Division II national poll.