ABILENE, Texas - McMurry University women's basketball will travel to the north side of Abilene to face Hardin-Simmons University on Saturday (Jan. 26) for round one of this year's Crosstown Showdown. Tip-off between the War Hawks (6-13, 3-7 ASC) and Cowgirls (12-6, 6-4 ASC) at the Mabee Complex is slated for 1 p.m.
McMurry split its pair of games last week. The War Hawks defeated Sul Ross State University, 90-57, on Thursday (Jan. 17) and lost to Howard Payne University, 67-63, on Saturday. Both games were at Kimbrell Arena. Versus SRSU, three McMurry University players tallied in double-figure scoring to lead the 90-57 romp. The 90 points by the War Hawks versus the was their highest scoring game of the season, thus far. The trio of high-flying McMurry players was led by junior
Skyler Reyna. Reyna rolled up her 10th double-double of the season – and 29th of her McM career - with 20 points and 13 rebounds, both game-leading totals. Senior guard
Dominique Machuca came off the bench to add 17 points and sophomore
Brittany Rodgers added 14 points off the bench.
Against HPU, a late rally did in the McMurry team, losing an American Southwest Conference home bout to Howard Payne University, 67-63. McMurry had a good shooting afternoon, converting nearly 42 percent (22-53) from the floor and also better than 82 percent (14-17) from the free throw line. The problem for McM was that HPU was a blistering 51 percent (23-45) from the floor and 50 percent (6-12) from three-point range. Reyna's 11th double-double game of the season – and 30th of her McM career - led the War Hawks. Junior guards
Isabel Carrion and
London Weilert finished with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
NOTES
FOLLOW THE ACTION: Links to live statistics and video – provided by HSU – will be available on the McMurry Athletics web site: www.mcmurrysports.com
SCOUTING HARDIN-SIMMONS: The Cowgirls currently sit in second place in the American Southwest Conference West Division standings. HSU is on a three-game win skein entering the matchup with McMurry. The Cowgirls opened the 2018-19 season with seven-consecutive wins. Taylor Gaffney leads HSU in scoring at 13.8 points per game and the Cowgirls have eight other players averaging 5.0 points per game or better. Freshman Kenlee Burke has a team-best 10.0 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT VERSUS THE COWGIRLS: Last season, McM split its games versus Hardin-Simmons, with each school earning the victory on its home court.
In the first meeting on January 25, 2018, McMurry led wire-to-wire in its 70-60 win, before a crowd of 940 at Kimbrell Arena. But the win was not without its anxious moments for McM, despite leading the entire way. 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. Then-sophomore forward
Skyler Reyna led all scorers with 19 points and a game-best 12 rebounds.
On February 17, 2018 at the Mabee Complex, McMurry closed out the 2017-18 regular season by dropping a 51-50 decision to HSU. McM and HSU stayed close to each other the entire game. The War Hawks' largest lead was seven points and the Cowgirls five points. Neither team scored any points in the final 1:14 minutes of the game and the War Hawks had two shot attempts for the victory in the final three seconds of the game, but could not convert. Senior
Sham Hunter, playing her final game in front of her hometown fans, led the War Hawks in both scoring and rebounds. Hunter had a double-double of 14 points and 14 boards.
A ROES BY ANY OTHER NAME: McMurry head coach
Brittany Densman-Roes is the defending ASC West women's basketball Coach of the Year. Densman-Roes was also a former teammate of HSU head coach Kendra Hassell (formerly Anderson) for two seasons (2000-02) at Hardin-Simmons, prior to transferring to McMurry or her final two collegiate seasons (2002-04).
EYES TO "THE SKY": McMurry University junior forward
Skyler Reyna has hit several career milestones already in 2018-19, including:
500th career rebound 12/3/18 at Ozarks
600th career rebound 1/17/19 vs. Sul Ross State
Current career rebound total 615
700th career point 11/11/18 at Houston Baptist
800th career point 12/20/18 vs. UT-Dallas
900th career point 1/17/19 vs. Sul Ross State
Current career points total 927
BALANCING ACT: In all, McM has a total of seven players averaging better than 5.0 points per game this season. Additionally, six players average more than 2.0 rebounds per game.
SHOOTING STAR: Freshman
Savannah Johnson is shooting a team-leading .478 (66-138) in her first collegiate campaign.
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Skyler Reyna has 11 double-double games, thus far, in 2018-19. In her career, Reyna has 30 double-double games.
HELPING HANDS: Junior guard
Isabel Carrion leads McM in assists, averaging 3.1 "helps" per contest. She also contributes 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Carrion matched her single-game career-high with eight assists versus Covenant (12/29/18). She has at least two assists in 17 of the 19 contests.
AMONG THE ASC LEADERS: Individually, several War Hawks rank among the ASC statistical leaders: Scoring- Reyna (14th/13.1 ppg), Doherty (26th/9.7 ppg), S. Johnson (30th/9.2 ppg); Rebounds- Reyna (3rd/9.7 rpg); Field Goal %- S. Johnson (10th/.478); Assists- Carrion (10th/3.1; 3-Point Field Goal %- Machuca (15th/.341); 3-Point Field Goals Made- Machuca (13th/1.6 pg), Doherty (t.15th/1.4 pg); Blocked Shots- Doherty (8th/0.8 pg); Assist/Turnover Ratio- Carrion (9th/+1.3 pg).
NEXT WEEK FOR McM: The War Hawks will host nationally-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor next Thursday (Jan. 31/5:30 p.m.) and Concordia-Texas on the following Saturday (Feb. 2/1 p.m.).
