AUSTIN , Texas — For the second straight game, the Hardin-Simmons' women's basketball team overcame an eight-point second-half deficit as the Cowgirls beat Concordia 71-66 on Saturday afternoon in American Southwest Conference action in Austin.

Concordia had control of most of the first half and led by nine until HSU scored the last four points of the half to cut its deficit to 37-32. The Tornados pushed the lead to 42-33, before the Cowgirls started to slowly chip away.

Coco Cartwright, who scored a team-best 17 points, hit a 3-pointer with 12:08 to play to cut it to 49-47. Concordia kept the lead between one and six points, until finally the Cowgirls took the lead for the first time in the second half on a Jasmine Lewis lay-up with 6:18 to play making it 60-59 and HSU scored four more points to take the lead to 64-59 with 4:39 to play.

Concordia battled back and retook the lead on a pair of free throws by Christen McLee to make it 66-65. Angela Newcombe answered right back with a lay-up with 1:15 to play and Cartwright sealed the game with four straight free throws in the final minute.

Cartwright was joined in double figures by Alexis Popelar with 14 points and Jasmine Lewis added 13. Shamika Singleton and Tiesha Martin had 17 points each to pace Concordia.

The Cowgirls are now 12-3 on the year and lead the ASC West with a 9-3 mark. Concordia fell to 9-7 overall and 8-5 in ASC play. HSU returns home for games against Texas Lutheran and Schreiner next week.

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