(January 2, 2009) - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women’s basketball team grabbed a double-digit first-half lead and never looked back as the Cru rolled to an 83-63 victory over U.T.-Tyler Friday afternoon in Belton. The UMHB women improve to 5-4 overall and 4-1 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops the Patriots to 7-4 overall and 4-2 in the ASC.

U.T.-Tyler would lead 20-18 with 8:53 left in the first half, but UMHB went on a 20-6 run to push the lead to 12 points with 3:42 left in the first half. The Patriots pulled to within 42-34 at halftime and scored the first four points of the second half to cut it to 42-38. The Cru women scored the next four points and would push the lead back to ten points at 50-40 with 16:54 remaining. That’s as close as the Patriots would get as UMHB cruised to the victory.

Kellie Thomas led the Cru women with 19 points and she also blocked six shots. Stacie Urbina came off the bench to add 13 points for UMHB, Kallie White and Jenny Black added 12 points apiece and Mallory McAdams also reached double figures with 10 points for the Cru women. White also added seven assists and five rebounds in the game. Becky Taylor had a huge game for UTT with 18 points and 18 rebounds. Lindsay Eaton added 16 points and nine boards and Lindsay Hausmann chipped in 10 points for the Patriots.

UMHB turned the ball over just seven times while forcing 21 turnovers in the victory. The Cru shot 50 per cent from the field to help overcome the Patriots 50-33 edge on the boards.

UMHB played without three injured players, including ASC West Division Preseason Player of the Year Landie Thompson. Thompson missed the game with an injury. Stacie Stephens and Courtney Wolfe were also out with injuries for the Cru women.

The Cru women will now hit the road for a trio of road games next week. UMHB will open ASC West Division play with a 5:30 PM tip-off at Concordia Texas Monday in Austin. The Cru women will then face Mississippi College and Louisiana College next weekend.