HOUSTON – Behind junior guard
Meghan Shank's career day, HBU women's basketball defeated visiting Huston-Tillotson, 86-36, Sunday afternoon from Sharp Gym.
Shank scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting to lead HBU (6-4). She pulled down three rebounds and had one assist. Her seven steals were the most since
Monet Neal had nine at UC Davis Dec. 21, 2012. Shank was one of five Huskies in double figures, as
Erin McGarrachan and
Anna Strickland both had double-doubles. McGarrachan had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Strickland posted 17 points and her 18 rebounds were a season-high for the team and the most since Neal pulled down 19 at Lamar Jan. 30, 2013.
Ashleigh Nwanguma scored 11 points, while Neal came off the bench to score 15.
HTU (3-6) was led by Charmin Woods with nine points, as she went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Alicia Flores-Mays, Ja'Danrian Thompson, and Lolita Franklin each pulled down a team-high five rebounds.
HBU spotted the Lady Rams the game's first basket before going on a 19-2 run. HTU scored its second basket of the game at the 11:25-mark, making the score 19-6.
The Huskies used an 18-0 run to take a 31-point lead, 37-6, before Victoria Elizalde's jumper stopped the bleeding at the 5:47-mark. The Huskies closed the half doubling up HTU, 6-3, to lead the Lady Rams at halftime, 43-9. It marked the first time HBU held an opponent to single digits in a half since the 2002-03 Huskies held visiting Southwestern Assemblies of God to nine second-half points March 3, 2003.
Strickland already had a double-double in the first half, as she led all players with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Heidi Sihvola had two points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Shank had four of her seven steals in the opening half.
Ekemini Essien came off the bench to score six points and register two rebounds and three assists. The Huskies shot 49 percent from the floor.
Elizalde led HTU with four points in the first half. The Lady Rams shot just 11 percent from the floor.
HTU had a three-pointer by Franklin in its first second-half possession, but HBU went onto a 9-0 run to lead 54-12 with 15 minutes remaining.
Emely Lopez scored her first-collegiate points with a three-pointer with 10:43 remaining to give the Huskies a 65-14 advantage.
Shank scored a half-high 13 points, while Strickland pulled down a half-best seven rebounds. The Huskies shot 47 percent from the floor in the second half and 48 percent in the game.
Woods scored all nine of her points in the second half, leading the Lady Rams. HTU shot 32 percent in the half and 21 percent in the game.
HBU closes the 2014 portion of the season at Texas Tech Tuesday at 7 pm before beginning Southland Conference play hosting reigning SLC tournament champions, Northwestern State, Friday, Jan. 2 at 3 pm.
