BELTON, Texas -  The McMurry University women's basketball team matched the No. 7/9-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor team in the early going, by was not able to keep pace in a 94-59 road loss at the Mayborn Campus Center. The War Hawks fell to 5-12 overall and 2-6 in the American Southwest Conference, while the Crusaders are now 16-1 on the year and 8-0 in the ASC.
 
The loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor was McM's fourth to a nationally-ranked opponent this season. Previously, the War Hawks dropped decisions to East Texas Baptist (twice) and UT-Dallas.
 
Junior guard Sarah Doherty led the McM team with 17 points, hitting 8-of-14 from the floor. Doherty grabbed six rebounds, while making a block and a steal, as well.
 
After a scoreless first half, junior forward Skyler Reyna – the team's leading scorer -  finished the game with 12 points and seven rebounds. Reyna was 4-for-13 shooting and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. She also made a pair of assists.
 
London Weilert and Savannah Johnson each chipped in nine points. Weilert finished the afternoon with a game-best four steals, while Johnson managed three assists on her ledger.
 
Jaymi Gordon-Deans had six points, thanks to a pair of treys. Brittany Rodgers' four points and two from Dominique Machuca rounded out the McMurry offense.
 
McMurry was firing on all cylinders the first quarter, hanging with the Cru. McM trailed by six, 10-4, midway through before tying the game 17-17 on a Rodgers layup. The War Hawks eventually settled on a one-point deficit, 18-17, to end the stanza.
 
But the second quarter saw a cold front move in on the McMurry offense.  UMHB opened the period on a 9-0 run, with the first War Hawks' basket – a jumper by Doherty – representing the team's first points coming at the 5:42 mark. UMHB would go on to out-score McMurry in the quarter, 25-10, to lead at the intermission, 43-27.
 
McMurry came out in the second half and immediately cut the margin to 10 points, 47-37, on another bucket from Doherty less than three minutes into the second half. Unfortunately for the War Hawks, the visitors could get no closer as the nationally-ranked Cru extended their cushion to 61-44 heading into the final quarter.
 
For the day, UMHB outshot McMurry from the field, 48.5 percent (33-68) to 34.8 percent (23-66). While the War Hawks made two more from beyond the arc than did UMHB (5-3), the Cru made 23 for free throws made and 23 more chances from the line.
 
McM was unable to overcome the UMHB height advantage, either, finding itself out-rebounded, 53-29, for the game. The was converted into 16 second-chance points and 12 fast-break points by the hosts.
 
After playing its last four contests on the road, McMurry will return home for the first time in 2019 on Thursday, January 17 versus Sul Ross State University. Tip-off at Kimbrell Arena is slated for 5:30 p.m.