ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' women's basketball team won its eighth American Southwest Conference Championship and second in three years with an 86-76 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday afternoon at the Mabee Complex.
"I'm so proud of my team," said HSU head coach
Kendra Whitehead. "These tournaments are so hard to win at home, on the road wherever. Our team just played so hard and came out focused and we have so many ways that we can attack a defense because we have some unselfish kids that are looking for an open teammate.
HSU opened the game on a 7-0 run with
Parris Parmer scoring five and fellow fifth-year senior
Samantha Tatum adding a bucket. HSU shot 8-of-12 in the first quarter and hit 3-of-4 from behind the arc to lead 25-18 after the first quarter.
The Cowgirls pushed the lead out to their highest point of the game with a 3-pointer by
Aiken Semones with 5:18 to play in the half. It was the end of a back-to-back-back 3-pointers from Tatum, Kiser and Semones.
UMHB closed the deficit to 10 at halftime at 42-32. HSU led 60-48 going into the final quarter. The Cru made a push and Jaycie Brisco's 3-pointer with 2:52 to play made the game 73-67.
HSU responded with the clock running down Fanelli found Parmer for a 25-footer that she buried to push the lead to 76-67 with 2:16 to play. HSU closed it out down the stretch at the free throw line, going 8-of-10 the rest of the way as the Cru had to foul.
The Cowgirls shot 49 percent in the game and held the Cru to 31.3 percent shooting. HSU also went 25-of-32 at the free throw line and the Cru finished 17-of-26.
UMHB had 29 offensive rebounds in the game and had 83 shots in the contest compared to just 51 for HSU.
Tatum finished with a career-high 26 points,
Parris Parmer had 23 points and nine rebounds,
Paris Kiser had 16 points and seven rebounds and
Savannah Bennett had 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Anna Fanelli had five assists in the contest and passed Diana Martinez for the HSU single-season record with 166.
Arieona Rosborough led UMHB with 18 points and Lauren Baker chipped in 12 points.
Kiser, Tatum and Parmer were named to the All-ASC Tournament team with Parmer earning MVP for the second time in her career.
The Cowgirls improved to 24-3 on the year. UMHB fell to 21-6 overall.
HSU will now advance to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year. The pairings while be announced on Monday at 1:30 p.m. HSU will be hosting a watch party in the Johnson Building for all HSU fans.
--- www.hsuathletics.com ---
