BELTON, Texas - The No. 25-ranked Austin College women's basketball team led 31-30 late in the second quarter but an 18-0 run that spanned the end of the second and start of the third pushed No. 12-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor ahead for good, as the Crusaders topped the 'Roos 96-65 on Saturday night. The 'Roos are now 9-2 overal on the year.
Reagan Chiaverini's three-pointer gave the 'Roos a 31-30 lead with 3:36 left before halftime, as the teams had been trading baskets for the first 17 minutes of action. However, UMHB closed the first half on a 10-0 run to take a 40-31 lead into the break and scored the first eight points of the third quarter to go on top 48-31, and Austin College was unable to recover. The Crusaders out-scored Austin College 31-17 in the third quarter and 56-34 after halftime.
Bryce Frank scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Chiaverini finished with 12 points, but the 'Roos shot just 34.8% from the field and 30% from long distance and committed 22 turnovers in the game. Mary Hardin-Baylor shot 52.2% from the field as a team, and also knocked down 12-of-26 from beyond the arc, including 7-of-11 in the second half. UMHB hit 4-of-5 from deep in the fourth quarter to help put the game away.
Austin College gets back into Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play next weekend as they head to Colorado to take on Johnson & Wales on Friday and Colorado College on Saturday.