HOUSTON – The women's basketball team put together a strong fourth-quarter but was unable to come back to, falling to Northwestern State, 67–57, on Thursday evening at Sharp Gym in Southland Conference play.
Northwestern State (9–7, 6–2 SLC) controlled the game from the opening minutes, taking a 21–14 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Demons continued to shoot efficiently from deep, hitting four first-half threes and pushing their advantage to 35–27 at the break. HCU (4–11, 2–6 SLC) struggled to find rhythm offensively early, shooting 26 percent in the opening half despite getting to the free-throw line consistently.
The Demons extended their lead to as much as 15 in the third quarter behind timely perimeter shooting and transition opportunities. Northwestern State finished 8-of-22 from three and generated 20 fast-break points that helped keep HCU at arm's length.
The huskies made its strongest push in the fourth quarter, opening the frame with an 18–10 stretch that cut the deficit to 54–50 with just over five minutes remaining.
Madison Hurta sparked the run with a corner three,
Tove Caesar added a midrange jumper, and
Jordan Jackson powered inside for multiple key scores. The Huskies outscored the Demons 20–18 in the final period and held them without a field goal for several possessions.
But Northwestern State answered each time the Huskies closed the gap. Nya Valentine hit her fourth three of the night to push the lead back to seven, and the Demons added eight points at the line in the final minutes to close out the game. Valentine finished with a game-high 18 points, while Tiara Abron added 13.
Jackson led HCU with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, her third of the season.
Kamryn McLaurin added 12 points and six rebounds, and Hurta totaled eight points, four rebounds, and two steals. HCU finished with 27 bench points and won the offensive rebounding battle, 15–7, converting those into 15 second-chance points.
HCU returns to Sharp Gym on Saturday, Jan. 17, to host East Texas A&M at 1 p.m. as SLC play continues.
