Athletics News

Box Score

(photo of Pearl Kafoa by Drew Engelke)
 

ABILENE, Texas – The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs pushed ASC West second-place squad McMurry before ultimately suffering a 70-59 loss Thursday at Kimbrell Arena.

 

McMurry (10-3, 7-2 ASC) needed a late second-half push to hold off TLU (4-9, 2-7 ASC). The Bulldogs pulled within three points, at 61-58, on a runner in the lane from Jessica Macias (San Antonio/Harlandale).

 

After the Macias bucket, McMurry closed the game with a 9-1 run. Precious Williams, Amanda Peters, Ashley Stephens and Anna Berthel each contributed buckets in the clinching scoring run. Peters’ three at the 2:55 mark increased the lead to seven, 66-59.

 

Berthel led all scorers with 21 points. She added 17 rebounds (seven on the offensive glass), three blocks and two steals. McMurry forward Allison Nelson produced 14 points and 12 rebounds.

 

McMurry out-rebounded TLU by 26, 66-40. McMurry collected 23 rebounds on the offensive end.

 

TLU trailed by as many as seven in the first half but battled back to tie the game at 34 on a steal and lay-up by Amy Doyle (Houston/Jersey Village).  Berthel hit a free throw to send McMurry into the locker room with a one-point lead.

 

McMurry played without leading scorer Amber Horton, who entered the week with a 14.8 points per game average.

 

TLU received 14 points from first-year forward Pearl Kafoa (Keller/Keller Central). Kafoa was 6-for-14 from the field and had two three-pointers. Point guards Jocelyn Langford (Omaha, Neb./San Antonio Clark) and Doyle contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively. Langford recorded a team-best six rebounds and dished out four assists. Doyle added three steals, three rebounds and two assists.

 

TLU and McMurry each were hurt by free throw shooting. The Bulldogs missed 11 free throws (13-of-24). McMurry  missed 15 of its own free throw attempts.

 

TLU continues conference play Saturday with a 1 p.m. game at Hardin-Simmons University, also in Abilene.