DAYTONA, Fla. – Hardin-Simmons' Cowgirl basketball team defeated the Plattsburgh State Cardinals 69-59 to win the Mauro Panaggio Tournament hosted by SUNY Brockport on Tuesday.
 
Hardin-Simmons opened the game up to lead 17-14 after a slow start in the first quarter. The Cowgirls got up by as many as 12 points in the second to end with a halftime lead of 30-22 over Plattsburgh State.
 
The Cowgirls increased the lead to 15 points in the fourth quarter, up 66-51 in the last three minutes. The Cardinals pulled back to make it a 69-59 win for Hardin-Simmons in the tournament championship in Daytona.
 
The Cowgirls shot 30% in the game going 23-76 on the day. The Cardinals shot 41%, with 23-55 shots being made. Hardin-Simmons got the edge from beyond the arc, with HSU netting seven made 3-pointers to just two from Plattsburgh State.
 
HSU won the rebounding margin 51-38 and had fewer turnovers with 10 and forced 19 turnovers from the Cardinals.
 
Freshman Dylan Koele had a career-high scoring 15 points on Tuesday. She shot 5-12 from the floor with three made 3-pointers and added two free throws for the Cowgirls.
 
Aiken Semones tied her for the Cowgirl lead with 15 points, including three made 3-point shots. Semones had the team lead in assists with five.
 
Jaqueline Berry Scored 11 points and led the team with 11 rebounds for the double-double. Madison Williams scored 10 points against the Cardinals.
 
The Cowgirls win the Mauro Panaggio tournament championship after two wins, improving to 11-1 on the season. The Cowgirls will take off for Christmas and be back quickly at the Mabee Athletic Complex on Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. to host the St. Mary's (MN) Cardinals.  

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