Free throws with one second left carry Lady Jackets past UMHB, 77-75

March 6, 2021 at 6:25 pm Derrick Stuckly

Salina Ali (22) led Howard Payne with 19 points at Mary Hardin-Baylor Saturday. [File photo by Derrick Stuckly]

BELTON – Freshman Amanda Turpin sank a pair of free throws with one second left to break a tie and give the Howard Payne Lady Jackets a 77-75 road victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor Saturday, and the No. 2 seed from the West Division for the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament.

With the win, the Lady Jackets (10-6, 7-3) will host ASC West Division No. 3 seed Sul Ross (9-13, 7-5) at 6 p.m. Wednesday in revamped first-round tournament action. The two teams split their regular season series, with Howard Payne picking up an 83-67 win at the Brownwood Coliseum on Feb. 27.

Wednesday’s winner will face either East No. 1 seed and second-ranked East Texas Baptist (23-0, 15-0) or East No. 4 seed Belhaven (6-11, 3-9) in the tournament semifinals at the site of the highest remaining West seed on Sunday, March 14. The tournament championship game will be played Monday, March 15.

Trailing 38-28 at halftime Saturday at UMHB (11-8, 7-7), Howard Payne outscored the hosts 22-12 in the third quarter to drawn even at 50 going into the fourth period. There, the Lady Jackets scored the first six points of the quarter and eventually built a double-digit lead, 67-57, on a pair of Delaney Ingram free throws with 4:01 left. Mary Hardin-Baylor made a late charge, however, and eventually tied the game at 75 on a three-pointer by Hannah Eggleston with 10 seconds remaining.

Howard Payne shot 27 percent (8 of 29) in the first half, then drained 48 percent (16 of 33) of its field goals in the second half to rally back. The Lady Jackets also converted 7 of 22 three-pointers and 22 of 40 free throws for the game. Despite being outrebounded 54-42, HPU committed just eight turnovers and forced 16 for a 19-9 edge in points off turnovers.

Salina Ali paced the Lady Jackets with 19 points followed by Turpin with 17, Chelsey Harris with 14 and a team-high nine rebounds, Bria Neal with nine points, Mallory Garcia with six, Lily Janek with four, Ingram and Payge Grable with three apiece, and Kayla Brigance with two points.

Eggleston led UMHB – which shot 39 percent (28 of 71) from the floor, 47 percent (9 of 19) from three-point land, and 48 percent (10 of 21) at the free throw line – with a game-high 31 points and 12 rebounds. Ashley Faux added 16 points and Taylor Kollmorgen finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.