TYLER, Texas --
Hardin-Simmons' women's basketball team fell behind double digits
in the first half and could not recover as they fell 60-50 to
Texas-Tyler on Saturday afternoon in American Southwest Conference
women's basketball action at the Herrington Patriot Center in Tyler.
The
Patriots hit six first-half 3-pointers and jumped out to a 33-21 lead
at halftime. UTT led just 25-21 when Alexis Popelar hit
a layup with 4:00 to play in the half. UTT then went on an 8-0 run to
end the half. Taylor Murphy and Teylor Seals hit back-to-back 3-pointers
in the run.
HSU
trailed 47-30 with 9:59 to play but quickly cut it to 49-37. UTT pushed
it back to 58-41 and the closest the Cowgirls would get
is 12 before the final buzzer when Popelar hit a layup as time expired.
Popelar
led the Cowgirls with her second straight double-double. She had 19
points and 11 rebounds and Coco Cartwright had 12 points.
Taylor
Murphy, who hit four of the 3-pointers for the Patriots, led the way
with 12 points. Five players had at least seven points
in a balanced attack for UTT.
HSU was outscored 18-6 in points off turnovers in the game and UTT had a 29-10 advantage in bench points.
The
Cowgirls are now 4-4 overall and 2-2 in American Southwest Conference
action. The Patriots improved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in
ASC action. HSU will take the week off for finals and return to action
next Saturday at home against Louisiana College. That game will begin at
3:30 after graduation ceremonies on the HSU campus.