Southwestern University

GEORGETOWN, TEXAS – The Southwestern University Women's Basketball team opened its home schedule in dominant fashion Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 72-32 victory over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor inside the Robertson Center. The Pirates delivered a strong defensive performance, holding the Crusaders to single-digit scoring in the final three quarters to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Southwestern set the tone early, with Neela Castillo knocking down a 3-pointer on the opening possession to give the Pirates an early lead. Kylee Symons added a 3-pointer of her own, and Lauren Stevens scored twice inside to help SU build an early 8-1 lead. After UMHB trimmed the margin, Emma Flores connected from beyond the arc to push the lead to 13-5. The Pirates closed the quarter with baskets from Trinity Benitez, Layla Tovar and Aaliyah Wright before Stevens converted two free throws to give Southwestern a 22-10 lead.

The Pirates continued to build separation in the second quarter, opening with a 7-0 run. Flores scored on a jumper before Castillo hit her second 3-pointer of the afternoon, and Symons followed with a layup to extend the lead to 29-10. Southwestern kept the pressure on throughout the period, getting contributions from Wright, Presley Zager and Brooke Smith. Flores added a layup and a free throw, while Lizzy Kellam and Symons closed out the half with buckets as the Pirates took a 42-19 lead into the half. 

Southwestern maintained control in the second half, limiting the Crusaders to just seven points in the third quarter. Zager scored on a layup and converted the ensuing free throw, while Castillo and Tovar added baskets inside to keep the Pirates in front. Myleigh Gomez and Tovar also scored during the period before Zager and Benitez capped the quarter with a jumper and a tip-in, respectively, giving Southwestern a 59-26 lead heading into the fourth.

The Pirates continued to pull away in the final period. Castillo opened the scoring at the free-throw line, and Wright added a layup to extend the advantage. Gomez scored inside midway through the quarter, while Wright added three more points at the line before Alaa Almzayen and Wright closed out the scoring to secure the 72-32 victory. The Pirates held the Crusaders to just four points over the final 10 minutes of play. 

GAME NOTES

• Neela Castillo led the Pirates with 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

• Freshman Aaliyah Wright added 10 points and six rebounds while recording a block and a steal. It marks her first career double-digit scoring game. 

• Emma Flores contributed nine points, four assists and two steals, while Kylee Symons finished with seven points and six rebounds.

• Southwestern forced 29 turnovers and recorded 14 steals. 

• The Pirates dominated the glass, outrebounding the Crusaders 51-22.

• The SU bench tallied 36 points. 

UP NEXT

Southwestern will return to the Robertson Center on Tuesday as the Pirates host Howard Payne University at 5:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on FloCollege.