Above photo by Luke Zayas/True To The Cru
Thursday’s Game
5:30 p.m CT, Mayborn Campus Center, Belton, Texas
Watch: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/umhb/
Admission is free.
READ: UMHB aims at fourth Top 25 win of the season against HSU
No. 22 Hardin-Simmons (12-3, 7-3 ASC)
Hardin-Simmons Projected Starting Five
| # | Pos | Name | Ht | Class | Pts | Reb |
| 2 | G | Hallie Edmondson | 5'8 | Jr. | 10.8 | 4.7 |
| 5 | G | Brittany Schnabel | 5'4 | Jr. | 12.7 | 3.6 |
| 23 | G | Samantha Tatum | 5'7 | Jr. | 8.6 | 3.5 |
| 3 | F | Parris Parmer | 5'10 | Jr. | 11.2 | 5.5 |
| 12 | C | Natasha Blizzard | 5'11 | So. | 5.9 | 4.8 |
About the Cowgirls: If you need to know one thing about this HSU offense, it is to expect a lot of three-point attempts. The Cowgirls are shooting a conference-leading 31.2 percent from beyond the arc, and in last Thursday’s 56-51 loss to ETBU, 11 of their 13 first-quarter shooting attempts were threes. The loss of All-American post Kaitlyn Ellis to graduation has put more emphasis on the guard play, which is headlined by juniors Brittany Schnabel and Hallie Edmondson, both of whom are accurate sharpshooters from long-range, and quality defenders. HSU is 12-3 overall, with its three losses coming to two teams: UMHB and ETBU. The Cowgirls are the nation’s No. 22 team, but currently sit fourth in the conference standings.
No. 20 UMHB (14-2, 11-0 ASC)
UMHB Projected Starting Five
| # | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Class | Pts | Reb |
| 10 | G | Bethany McLeod | 5'9 | Sr. | 8.4 | 3.1 |
| 1 | G | Arieona Rosborough | 5'7 | Fr. | 11.6 | 6.3 |
| 31 | F | Ashley Faux | 6'0 | So. | 11.8 | 4.1 |
| 40 | F | Kasey Jo Hinton | 5'10 | Jr. | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| 24 | P | Kaitlyn Kollmorgen | 6'0 | So. | 8.4 | 7.2 |
About the Cru: The highest scoring offense in the ASC, at 73.3 points per game, UMHB has been hard to stop on the offensive end. Playing team basketball, the Crusaders run a disciplined offense and have cranked up the defensive intensity as of late as well. Opponents are shooting 35.8 percent from the field, and defending the perimeter will be vital against HSU, as Morefield noted earlier in the week. UMHB is alone atop the ASC standings with a perfect 11-0 record. The Crusaders defeated Hardin-Simmons 64-52 in Abilene on Dec. 11. They are looking for their third straight win over the Cowgirls, but first at home since Jan. 16, 2020.
