ABILENE, Texas - McMurry University women's basketball will be looking to extend its recent hot streak to open calendar 2019, resuming American Southwest Conference action with a two-game road swing to nationally-ranked East Texas Baptist University and LeTourneau University. The War Hawks (4-9, 1-3 ASC) will face the No. 13/15 Tigers (10-1, 4-1 ASC) on Thursday (Jan. 3/5:30 p.m.) and take on the YellowJackets (3-9, 0-5 ASC) on Saturday (Jan. 5/1 p.m.).
After a sluggish start to the 2018-19 campaign – the team began the year 1-8 – McMurry enters 2019 having won three of its last four contests. The only setback during that skein was a loss to nationally-ranked UT Dallas right before Christmas. McMurry's offense appears to be clicking, as well, with the back-to-back 78-point games at the UT Dallas Classic – in wins over Manchester University and Covenant College - standing as the War Hawks' most points scored in a contest this season.
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SCOUTING THE TIGERS: East Texas Baptist University is ranked No. 13/15 in two NCAA Division III national polls. The ASC East-leading Tigers' lone setback came back on November 29 to ASC West frontrunner – and unbeaten – Mary Hardin-Baylor. ETBU has won four-straight games entering the contest versus the War Hawks.
LAST TIME OUT VERSUS ETBU: McM and ETBU faced off in a non-conference meeting to open 2018-19 in Abilene, won by the Tigers (86-52). However, the War Hawks were without the services of starting point guard
Sarah Doherty (9.3 p.p.g./2.1 r.p.g./2.0 a.p.g.) in that meeting.
SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS: LeTourneau (3-9, 0-5 ASC) enters the new year in search of its first league win (with a Thursday matchup versus Hardin-Simmons on tap before facing McM). The YellowJackets are coming off of a non-conference victory over Millsaps on December 29.
LAST TIME OUT VERSUS LETU: Last season, McMurry kept pace for the top spot in the American Southwest Conference West Division standings by knocking off LeTourneau University, 76-69, at Kimbrell Arena. LeTourneau scored the first basket of the game, which would be the visitors' only lead. A three-point play from McM's
Sarah Doherty ignited an 11-0 run by the War Hawks and the team never looked back from there, leading 18-9 after one quarter and 34-26 at the half.
Skyler Reyna led a smothering McM defensive assault that forced 18 turnovers, which was parlayed into 40 points for the hosts. Reyna, personally, made five to the War Hawks' six steals as a team. Reyna and teammate
Isabel Carrion both finished the game with double-doubles to their credit. Reyna was the game's co-leader in scoring with 20 points and pulled down a game-leading 14 rebounds, as well. She hit 7-of-12 from the floor, was 6-for-6 from the free throw line and also passed off for three assists. Carrion matched her career high with 10 rebounds, while registering 13 points, for her second double-double of the season. She also matched her career-best mark for assists with seven. As a team, the War Hawks rolled up a total of 22 assists on their 28 field goals made.
DOH!(erty): Junior
Sarah Doherty had a career game in the win over Covenant, with a career-high 23 points. Doherty's effort was her first-ever 20-point collegiate game (her previous best was 19 versus UT-Tyler in 2017-18). Doherty hit 8-of-13 from the floor versus the Scots, including the second-most three-point baskets in her career, going 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. She was 2-for-2 from the free throw line, while also grabbing two rebounds, blocking two shots, passing off for two assists and making three steals.
GLASS CLEANER: McM junior
Skyler Reyna pulled down the 500th rebound of her career on December 3 at Ozarks. In her career, she now has 549 rebounds.
BIG SKY COUNTRY: Thus far in 2018-19,
Skyler Reyna notched her 800th career point on December 20 versus UT-Dallas, as well as her 700th career point at Houston Baptist (Nov. 11). She currently sits at 840 total career points.
SHOOTING STAR: Freshman
Savannah Johnson shooting a blistering .533 (48-90) in her first collegiate campaign, appearing in all 13 contests.
LONDON CALLING: Junior guard
London Weilert has hit nearly 79 percent of her free throws (20-26).
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Skyler Reyna has 7 double-double games, thus far, in 2018-19. In her career, Reyna has 25 double-double games, including three-consecutive games, currently.
CARRY ON, CARRION: Junior guard
Isabel Carrion leads McM in assists, averaging 3.5 "helps" per contest. She also contributes 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Carrion matched her single-game career-high with eight assists versus Covenant.
AMONG THE ASC LEADERS: Individually, several War Hawks rank among the ASC statistical leaders: Scoring-
Skyler Reyna (13th/12.5 ppg),
Sarah Doherty (29th/9.3 ppg); Rebounds-
Skyler Reyna (3rd/9.2 rpg); Field Goal %-
Savannah Johnson (5th/.533); Assists-
Isabel Carrion (7th/3.5 apg); Free Throw %-
Skyler Reyna (13th/.706),
Brittany Rodgers (15th/.689); Steals-
Dominique Machuca (14th/1.9 spg); 3-Point Field Goal %-
Sarah Doherty (8th/.372),
Dominique Machuca (10th/.361); 3-Point Field Goals Made-
Dominique Machuca (9th/1.7 mpg),
Sarah Doherty (13th/1.5 mpg); Blocks-
Sarah Doherty (6th/0.8); Assist-Turnover Ratio-
Isabel Carrion (6th/+1.5).
NEXT WEEK FOR McM: The War Hawks will play two more road games, traveling to Concordia University-Texas next Thursday (Jan. 10) and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday (Jan. 12).
