BELTON, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team fought back to make a game of it late, but the Cru never completely overcame an early 18-2 deficit in an 88-76 loss to McMurry University Thursday night in Belton. The loss snaps UMHB's eight-game losing streak and drops the Cru to 14-6 overall and 12-4 in American Southwest Conference play. McMurry improves to 14-6 overall and 12-4 in the ASC with the win and the two teams are now tied for first in the ASC West with five regular season games remaining.
McMurry scored the game's first five points and then used a 13-0 run after the opening Cru bucket to open that 18-2 lead. The Cru would close to within nine before another McMurry run stretched it to a 17-point lead. The Cru again fought back and the McMurry halftime would sit at 43-30. UMHB would finally get the lead under double digits at 65-56 with 7:37 remaining. The lead ballooned back to 10 points before a Rich Moore jumper cut it to 72-65 with 4:16 remaining. After a defense stop by the Cru, Zane Johnston's three-point attempt went halfway down before bouncing out.
Jeremie Hart would then hit back-to-back baskets for McMurry to make it an 11-point lead and the Cru could not get it closer than nine points the rest of the way.
Dean Pele led UMHB with 17 points and he also grabbed six rebounds. Ervin Johnson had 14 points off the bench for UMHB and Theo Ard added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds. Hart led five McMurry players in double figures with 21 points.
Steven Luckey and
Robert Moreno added 19 points apiece and Moreno also added seven assists.
Jamal Anene had 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds and
Ryan Boyd also reached double figures with 10 points for McMurry.
UMHB shot just 41 per cent from the field and hit just 2-18 from three-point range in the loss. The Cru was out rebounded 44-34 in the game and also missed 11 free-throws. McMurry shot 43 per cent from the field and finished 9-22 from three-point range after hitting 8-14 from beyond the arc in the first half.
UMHB will continue its home stand with a 3:00 PM tip-off against Hardin-Simmons University on Saturday. The Cru will then close out the regular season home schedule with a 7:30 PM start against Texas Lutheran University next Thursday at the Mayborn Campus Center. The UMHB men will play the final three games of the regular season on the road.
