Photo credit: Scott Burkhalter/Hardin-Simmons Athletics
ABILENE, Texas—Behind a stellar offensive day, Hardin-Simmons defended its home court and claimed the ASC Tournament title, defeating Mary Hardin-Baylor, 84-74.
HSU claims the American Southwest Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while UMHB will seek a Pool C (at-large) bid when the national tournament field is announced on Monday. UMHB, who is now 22-5, is in a firm position for an at-large bid, with a strong win percentage and one of the best SOS numbers in Region 10.
Led by the exceptional shooting performances of Samantha Tatum, Paris Kiser, and Parris Parmer, the Cowgirls claimed the program’s eighth ASC tournament title in the process. HSU shot 49 percent from the field and 52.9 from the 3-point line. Tatum finished with 24 points, while Parmer added 21, and Kiser tallied 16.
For UMHB, Arieona Rosborough and Lauren Baker were the double-digit scorers, with 18 points and 12 points, respectively. As a team, UMHB won the rebounding battle, 49-45, but struggled to keep pace offensively, and shot just 5-of-25 from 3-point range, along with going 31.3 percent from the field. That was a number even The Cru’s 29 offensive rebounds could not overcome.
Boosted by its vocal home crowd, Hardin-Simmons wasted little time taking charge in the early minutes, as the Cowgirls opened the contest on a 7-0 scoring run. UMHB battled back, and a 7-2 run of its own, sparked by a 3-pointer from Alexis Carmosino, brought The Cru within two points.
But HSU answered, and extended the advantage to as many as 10 points with 1:34 left in the quarter. The Cowgirls led 25-18 through the first 10 minutes, but soon took another step forwards, anchored by an exceptional shooting stretch.
HSU converted on four 3-point attempts over the next 10 minutes, while UMHB went 4-of-19 from the field in the second quarter. The result was a sizable lead for the hosts, who remained relentless on the offensive end; Aiken Semones’ 3-pointer with 5:18 left extended HSU’s lead to 18, 38-20.
UMHB stayed in contention, and cut the deficit to 10, 42-32, by halftime. But HSU’s offensive success, highlighted by transition points and 3-pointers, never faded. The Crusaders and Cowgirls tied, 42-42, in second-half points, as HSU ended up preserving its 10-point lead.
The Crusaders cut into the double-digit deficit early in the third, and at the 4:41 mark, Ella Hartmann scored on a layup that put UMHB within nine points of tying the score. The Cru cut the HSU lead to nine once more with 8:52 left in the fourth, but the Cowgirls countered with layups from Kiser and Tatum, putting the hosts back in control.
UMHB cut the HSU lead to six points with 2:52 remaining in the final quarter on a key 3-pointer from Jaycie Brisco, but as was the case several times on Saturday afternoon, the Cowgirls had an answer. In this instance, it was a long 3-pointer from Parmer at the end of the shot clock of the ensuing possession, as HSU regained a nine-point advantage.
The Cowgirls then held off a late charge from UMHB and sealed the 10-point victory, beating the Crusaders for the second time in seven days, but for the first time this season in Abilene.
