Box Score

ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University's men defeated Hardin-Simmons for the fifth consecutive time as the visitors took a 69-62 victory over the Cowboys Tuesday night at HSU's Mabee Complex. A 12-2 lead spanning 3:32 late in the half sealed victory and gave McMurry a half-game lead in the American Southwest Conference West Division.

With 6:21 remaining, the Cowboys' Terrance Booker laid the ball in to cut McMurry's once 14-point lead to five points at 55-50. McMurry countered with eight-straight points and went on to a 12-2 run capped by Cameron Quinton's free throw with 2:44 remaining to make the score 67-52.

HSU entered the contest with a 4-1 league record while McMurry had a 3-1 mark. The Cowboys dropped to 4-2, McMurry moved to 4-1 and holds a half-game lead early in the conference season over Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Teddy Chambers led McMurry with 19 points and 11 rebounds marking the fifth time the senior has recorded a double-double this season. Steven Johunkin had 15 points and Steven Jones added 11. Derick Sumpter, who played his first game as a semester transfer student, scored eight points off the bench and had five assists. Jaden Isler had a season-high seven assists and added three steals for McMurry; the team had a season-high 21 assists.

Booker, the former McMurry player, led the Cowboys with 11 points while Derrick Jefferson and Dustin Massey each had 10 points in the losing effort.

In the first half, McMurry's defense held HSU to a cold 25-percent shooing effort as the Cowboys shot just 7 for 28 from the floor. On the other hand, McMurry nailed 12 of 24 attempts from the field in the first period to take a 27-20 lead into halftime.

The Cowboys finished 35 percent from the floor on a 23 for 65 effort. HSU hit seven 3-pointers on 24 attempts and was 9 for 14 from the free-throw line.

HSU dropped to 5-3 overall while McMurry moved to 6-2 overall. McMurry hits the road to face East Texas Baptist Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.