MARSHALL, Texas -  McMurry University women's basketball resumed American Southwest Conference play to open calendar 2019 with a 79-48 loss to nationally-ranked East Texas Baptist University at Ornelas Gym. The War Hawks fell to 4-10 overall and 1-3 in the ASC, while the No. 13/15 Tigers improved to 11-1 and 5-1 in ASC play.
 
The Tigers grabbed the early 8-3 lead, but the War Hawks caught the hosts at 10-10 on a layup from London Weilert. ETBU would lead 17-12 at the end of the first period.
 
ETBU led 21-14 less than a minute into the second quarter. But a 9-2 run by the War Hawks – capped by a trey from Dominique Machuca – knotted matters at 23-23 midway through the period. The Tigers would eventually take a 36-25 advantage into the halftime locker room.
 
But the Tigers created separation early in the second half by opening the third quarter on a 12-0 run in the first three minutes. The War Hawks tallied their first points of the period on a pair of Brittany Rodgers free throws with 6:59 left to make it 48-27. ETBU led by 20, 55-35, after the third.
 
As a team, McMurry shot a creditable 31 percent from the field. However, ETBU was a blistering 30-for-58, nearly 52 percent, from the floor for the game. The real disparity came from beyond the arc, where the Tigers converted 11 buckets (compared to three treys made by the War Hawks).
 
Weilert led McM with 15 points, 12 of which came in the first half alone. Weilert was 6-of-10 from the field and connected on 2-of-4 from long distance. She also had three rebounds and a steal to her credit.
 
Freshman Autumn Johnson had 10 points, the most of her brief collegiate career, thus far, going 5-for-6 shooting.  Twin sister Savannah Johnson added seven points before fouling out.
 
Junior forward Skyler Reyna was held to five points – well below her 11.8 points per game average – but did manage to corral seven rebounds. Reyna passed off for three assists, as well.
 
Rodgers added four points and Machuca three.  Taylor Smith and Chyna Washington each chipped in two points to round out the War Hawks' scoring.
 
It marked the second time this season that McMurry was taken down by the Tigers.  ETBU also won the 2018-19 season opener in Abilene, 86-52, in what was a non-conference bout.
 
McMurry will next travel to LeTourneau University on Saturday afternoon for a 1 p.m. contest.