SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College women’s basketball team got 17 points and 18 boards from Katy Williams and Shayna Clardy scored a career-best 16 points as the ’Roos overcame 32 turnovers on their way to a 76-65 victory over Texas Lutheran on day one of the Bob Mason Classic in Hughey Gymnasium.  Spalding University topped the University of Dallas 42-38 in the first game of the tournament earlier in the night. 

The ’Roos jumped on top 9-2 early behind six quick points from Williams and a three by Kersti Marusich and extended that lead to 17-7 with 13:02 left in the first half on a three pointer by Clardy, but Texas Lutheran chipped away and got it back to within five at 19-14 on a triple by Jocelyn Langford with 8:58 showing on the clock. 

Austin College pushed that lead back to 12 when Williams scored seven straight points to make it a 28-16 game, and after TLU cut it to seven with 2:18 to go before halftime the ’Roos closed out the first period with a 7-0 run behind two buckets from Erica McDaniel and a three point play by Amber Stafford to make it 38-24 at the break. 

The lead grew to 20 early in the second half when Clardy knocked down a trey to make it 48-28 with 17:33 left in the game, but over the next eight minutes the Bulldogs took advantage of nine Austin College turnovers to cut it to a 57-48 game after a layup by Iesha Collins.  Clardy would respond with two more threes to push it back to a 15 point game, and after TLU got it back to single digits Clardy stepped up with another three to make it 69-56. 

The Bulldogs would once again trim the lead down to single digits at 72-65 with 48 seconds to play but another clutch three for the ’Roos, this time by Kayla Redden on an assist from Clardy, would seal the game and give the ’Roos an 11 point victory. 

Williams hit 8-of-14 attempts from the field on her way to 17 points and grabbed nine of her 18 boards on the offensive glass, while Clardy finished 5-of-6 from downtown and hit all four of her second half three point attempts, scoring 13 of her 16 points after the break.  Stafford finished with 11 points and eight assists, Redden scored 14 and McDaniel finished with 11 points and seven boards as the ’Roos hit 51.9% from the field for the game. 

Collins scored a team-high 13 points and added seven boards, Tamisha Timpson scored 12 points and had seven steals, Kimberly Hagan chipped in 11 points and Candace Mitchell finished with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds for Texas Lutheran. 

Earlier in the day Kelly Harrod scored with five seconds remaining to put Spalding ahead of Dallas 40-38 and the Eagles would add two free throws to give them a four point victory as Lauren Reed led a balanced scoring attack with eight points and nine rebounds.  Cara Szcepanski scored 10 points and added seven boards in the loss for the Crusaders.

Tomorrow Dallas will square off against Texas Lutheran at 2:00 p.m. and Austin College will take on Spalding at 4:00 p.m. to conclude the Bob Mason Classic. 

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. 

About Austin College 

Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas.  Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives.