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BELTON, Texas – The Whitman College women’s basketball team opened its 2025-26 campaign with an emphatic road victory, stunning No. 25-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor 57-53 behind a career night from Holly Morgan.
Morgan poured in a career-high 17 points and hit five of her six free throws down the stretch as the Blues (1-0) weathered a furious UMHB (0-1) comeback attempt. Whitman’s high-pressure defense was pivotal, as the Blues forced 21 Crusader turnovers and converted those miscues into 18 points, nearly double UMHB’s output in that category.​
The Blues set the tone early, racing to an 18-12 lead after the first quarter and extending their advantage to 34-20 at the break. Morgan, joined by key contributions from Kaella Peters (10 pts) and Briana Andrade (eight points, seven rebounds, three assists), powered the offense as Whitman built its largest lead of 18 midway through the third. But UMHB clawed back, cutting the deficit to two late in the fourth quarter.
Down the stretch, Whitman’s poise at the foul line proved decisive. Morgan calmly sank four free throws in the final minute, and the Blues’ defense held, forcing a key turnover with seconds remaining to preserve the win.
The Blues outscored Mary Hardin-Baylor 32-30 in the paint despite giving up size and held a 12-9 edge in fast break points. The bench also contributed, outscoring UMHB’s reserves 23-17.​
The Blues play the second and final game of their Texas trip when they visit Concordia University (TX). Tipoff on Saturday, Nov. 8 is set for 1:00 p.m. CT (11:00 a.m. PT).
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