MARSHALL, Texas --The Howard Payne University women's basketball team went into the half beating Hendrix 31-21, but could not hang on in the second half and fell 60-50 to the Hendrix College Warriors at Ornelas Gymnasium (ETBU) Sunday.
HPU's Caitlyn Panuco had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Jackets (4-12). Tatum Walker added nine points and 11 rebounds and Kiana Henning helped out with eight points and four assists.
Walker pulled down six offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Howard Payne, grabbing 14 boards and turning them into 13 second chance points.
The Howard Payne defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Sunday's game, forcing 15 Hendrix turnovers. Those takeaways turned into eight points on the offensive end of the floor. Panuco's three steals led the way individually for the Lady Jackets.
How It Happened
After falling behind 12-9, Howard Payne went on a 9-0 run with 2:21 left in the first quarter to take an 18-12 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Howard Payne did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 18 points close to the basket.
Howard Payne kept its first quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 3:07 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Henning, to increase its lead to 31-21, a score that would hold until halftime. Howard Payne was strong from deep in the period, knocking down two three-point shots to account for six of its 13 points.
Howard Payne then lost its advantage in the third quarter and trailed the Warriors 46-40 entering the fourth. Howard Payne knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its nine total points.
Hendrix kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 54-42 advantage before Howard Payne went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Panuco's layup, to shrink the deficit to 54-47 with 1:06 to go in the contest. Hendrix responded and outscored the Lady Jackets the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 60-50. Howard Payne pulled down five offensive rebounds to score four second chance points out of 10 total in the period.
Game Notes
» Caitlyn Panuco notched a double-double for the Lady Jackets with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
» The Lady Jackets held the Warriors to only 29.7 percent shooting from the field.
» The Howard Payne defense forced 15 turnovers.
» Howard Payne cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
» Caitlyn Panuco led the Lady Jackets with 10 points.
» Tatum Walker grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Howard Payne and Caitlyn Panuco added 10.
Howard Payne will play next on Jan. 15th at 5:30 pm at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas.
