BROWNWOOD, Texas – Despite a career-high 31 points from junior forward Skyler Reyna, McMurry University Women's Basketball came up just short at Howard Payne University Thursday evening, dropping a 82-76 decision at the Brownwood Coliseum.
The War Hawks (7-16, 4-10 ASC) led for the majority of the game, but the Yellow Jackets (9-13, 6-7 ASC) took the lead late in the third quarter, their first since it was 3-2. A back-and-forth fourth quarter, McMurry fell behind by seven before tying it at 73 with 1:45 to play.
Howard Payne got a layup to break a 75-75 tie, and then proceeded to make 5-of-6 free throws in the final 30 seconds to hold on for the win.
McMurry started fast, jumping out to a 16-5 lead and led by as many as a dozen in the period. Reyna and junior guard London Weilert each had seven points in the quarter. HPU would close the gap in the second, but the War Hawks stretched the lead back to double figures midway through the quarter.
A three by Weilert gave the War Hawks a 52-42 lead with four minutes left in the third, but the Yellow Jackets closed the quarter on a 15-4 run to take a one-point lead into the fourth.
Reyna's 31 points gave her exactly 1,000 points for her career, becoming the 10th player in program history to reach that milestone. She grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, giving her her 14th double-double of the season. Reyna added four steals, as well.
Weilert chipped in 19 points, while junior guard Sarah Doherty scored 15. The trio of Reyna, Weilert and Doherty combined for 65 of the War Hawks' 76 points.
The War Hawks shot 48.3 percent from the field, but 22 turnovers cost them fast break points and points off turnovers.
McMurry can clinch a berth in the American Southwest Conference tournament Saturday with a win at Sul Ross State combined with a loss by Concordia Texas. Tipoff against the Lobos is slated for 1 p.m.
