ABILENE, Texas – All five McMurry starters scored in double figures and McMurry University shot 52 percent from the field dominating in a 87-67 win over Howard Payne Thursday night at Kimbrell Arena. Teddy Chambers and Steven Jones scored 17 points apiece and each had a double-double to help McMurry move to 6-3 in league play.

McMurry improved to 8-5 overall while dropping Howard Payne to 4-10 overall and 3-7 in the American Southwest Conference West Division. Derick Sumpter scored 16 points in his first start, Steven Johunkin added a dozen and Jaden Isler had 10 points in the victory. McMurry moved the ball well with 20 assists on the evening with Isler and Sumpter leading with seven apiece.

The story of the game came on the inside and in the glass. McMurry scored 50 points in the painted area while the Yellow Jackets managed just 24. HPU managed just 28 rebounds while McMurry took 50 rebounds including 15 from Chambers and 13 from Jones.

The game was close in the first half with Howard Payne's last lead coming at 19-18 with 8:22 to play. Then, after the score was knotted at 23 on a field goal by HPU's Brandon Irwin with 5:33, McMurry closed the first half with a 15-1 run to take a 38-24 lead into halftime.

From there McMurry dominated the second half with the Yellow Jackets getting no closer than 14 points of the lead. McMurry finished 32 of 62 from the field and 18-21 from the free-throw line. HPU shot 35 percent on the night on a 24 of 68 shooting effort.

McMurry returns to action Saturday playing host to Sul Ross State Saturday at 3 p.m.