With the basketball goal fixed and ready to be used, the women’s basketball team played in an on campus exhibition against Hardin-Simmons University as an opening to the preseason and ended with a score of 61-42.

With a slow start, the first basket wasn’t made until half way through the first quarter at the 5:38 mark by Whitney Taylor, forward and education senior. The women’s basketball team was able to make four more points with a basket from Jasmine Richardson, guard and exercise physiology senior and two foul shots from Mica Schneider, guard and mass communications sophomore.

The score at the first quarter was 6-10 in Hardin-Simmons favor, and looked to be a long game ahead of the women.

“Some weaknesses were not seeing the open or the extra person, and handling the ball,” Richardson said.

In the second quarter, however, the team worked together to flip the score, by half time the score was 21-20.

“The communication could be better, not just verbal, but nonverbal,” Noel Johnson, head coach, said. “It really resignates in our defense when that doesn’t happen, so we really need to work on it.”

The third quarter started off with a three-point shot by Taylor at the 9:50 mark. No too far behind her was Kristin Rydell, guard and nursing senior, with a three-pointer at the 8:28 mark. Micheline Mercelita, forward and kinesiology senior, scored three shots in the first four minutes of the third quarter. Between free throws and baskets from several other teammates, the women’s basketball team took the lead by fifteen points with a score of 45-30.

According to Hannah Reynolds, center and health science freshman, the strength found in the team team on the court came through their communication, and this pushed the team over the tipping point.

By the fourth quarter the basketball team were in a groove. Rydell and Taylor made two shots at the beginning, and bumping the score to 49-31 right before Taylor made a three-point shot at the 7:43 mark. The women then continued to increase their lead on HSU. At the :32 mark — the score 59-40. Anni Scholl, guard and marketing junior, received a chance at three free throws. She made two out of three and made the final score 61-42.

“I feel very good and positive about the team this season,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of good pieces on our roster, it is now just a matter of being discipline and executing everything right.”

The women’s basketball team will return to D. L. Ligon Coliseum for the first game of the Ashbrook Classic on Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. against Colorado Mesa.

HSBball

Whitney Taylor, education senior, dribbles the ball during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Whitney Taylor, education senior, dribbles the ball during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Whitney Taylor, education senior, dribbles the ball during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Whitney Taylor, education senior, attempts a shot during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Whitney Taylor, education senior, attempts a shot during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Whitney Taylor, education senior, attempts a shot during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, pushes between two opponets and attempts a shot during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, pushes between two opponets and attempts a shot during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, pushes between two opponets and attempts a shot during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, jumps for a lay-up during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, jumps for a lay-up during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, jumps for a lay-up during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, moves the ball away from opponets reach during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, moves the ball away from opponets reach during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Jasmine Richardson, exercise physiology senior, moves the ball away from opponets reach during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Mica Schneider, mass communication sophomore, drives towards the net during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Mica Schneider, mass communication sophomore, drives towards the net during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Mica Schneider, mass communication sophomore, drives towards the net during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Liz Cathcart, marketing sophomore, fakes out Rayan Starnes, Hardin-Simmons player, during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Liz Cathcart, marketing sophomore, fakes out Rayan Starnes, Hardin-Simmons player, during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Liz Cathcart, marketing sophomore, fakes out Rayan Starnes, Hardin-Simmons player, during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Micheline Mercelita, kinesiology senior, jumps up for a lay-up during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Micheline Mercelita, kinesiology senior, jumps up for a lay-up during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Micheline Mercelita, kinesiology senior, jumps up for a lay-up during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Kristin Rydell, nursing senior, look for an open teammate during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Kristin Rydell, nursing senior, look for an open teammate during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez

Kristin Rydell, nursing senior, look for an open teammate during the MSU vs Hardin-Simmons game in D.L. Ligon Coliseum where MSU won 61-42, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Photo by Francisco Martinez