ALPINE, Texas- A change in the starting lineup was not enough to put the UMHB women’s basketball team back in the win column, as the Cru dropped its second straight conference game, falling 55-46 to Sul Ross State Thursday night.
Head coach Mark Morefield readjusted his starting lineup heading into the contest, as Taylor Kollmorgen started in place of Allaira Jones, and Olivia Champion began the game in place of A’Lexiss Benton.
Interestingly, UMHB shot much better than its opponents on this particular evening, shooting 41 percent from the field in comparison to the Lobos’ 32 percent. In fact, the Cru also led for just under half of the game, and dished out 10 assists.
The change in the starting group certainly provided UMHB with a spark early on, as a three-pointer from Brooke Elliot gave the Cru its first lead of the game, 3-2, with 7:35 left in the first quarter of play. Sul Ross would retake the lead before the visitors from Belton went on a 7-0 run to close out quarter number one with a 16-8 advantage.
The Lobos, who shot just 2-of-12 from the field in the first quarter, found their mark in the second, going on a 9-0 run to take a narrow 26-23 lead at the half.
By the time the fourth quarter began, Sul Ross was clinging to a 35-33 lead, with the game wide open for either team’s taking. Kollmorgen hit a jumper for the Cru 44 seconds into the fourth, tying it up at 35. The teams would exchange buckets for the next several minutes, with offense taking over. With 7:26 remaining in the contest, Bethany McLeod laid the ball in, giving the Crusaders a 39-37 advantage. As it turned out, it would be UMHB’s final lead of the game, as Sul Ross put together a 9-0 scoring run midway through the fourth. Though the Cru desperately tried to close the gap, playing near-flawless defense until the final buzzer, the shots would not fall late, as UMHB shot just 1-of-6 from the field in the final three minutes.
The loss now drops UMHB to 8-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play, while Sul Ross moves up to 4-2 in ASC action.
Pacing the Cru in scoring was Kollmorgen, who nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds to her credit. Jones and McLeod chipped in with seven points each. Three point shooting continues to be an issue for UMHB, as the Crusaders shot just 3-of-10 from behind the arc.
The road trip continues for the Cru, as a duel with Howard Payne is up next, scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.
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