BROWNWOOD, Texas- The Howard Payne University women’s basketball team lost a tough battle to conference opponent Sul Ross State University 84-79 Thursday evening in the Brownwood Coliseum.

Chelsey Harris highlighted the evening with a double-double that included 21 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

The Lady Jackets got off to a rocky start trailing 26-13 after one quarter of play.

Howard Payne’s shooting greatly improved in the second quarter, going 50% (9-18) from the field after shooting 25% (5-20) in the first. The Lady Jackets made a dent in the Lobos lead and trailed 43-35 at the halfway mark.

HPU went on a 13-3 run to start the third quarter to take the 50-46 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the quarter.

The rest of the game was a tight battle, with the Lady Jackets leading by as much as six. However, the Lobos took the 69-68 point lead with just under five minutes left in the game and never trailed again, claiming the five-point 84-79 win.

Brea Neal led the Lady Jackets with a game-high 24 points and eight rebounds, followed by Chelsey Harris with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Also scoring in double digits was Salina Ali, with 11 points, six rebounds, five steals, and four assists.

With tonight’s loss, the Lady Jackets fall to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in American Southwest Conference action. The Lobos improve to 6-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

The Lady Jacket will take on Austin College in Sherman, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 11th at 4:00 pm.

(story courtesy HPU Sports Information)