Box Score

BELTON, Texas – Mary Hardin-Baylor overcame a seven-point first-half deficit to maintain its first-place standing in the American Southwest Conference West Division Saturday with a 66-64 victory over McMurry University in Belton. McMurry's Teddy Chambers missed a chance to tie the score with 0.8 seconds left when he missed the front end of a two-shot foul and McMurry committed a lane violation on the second attempt.

McMurry led 34-27 at halftime and held the lead for much of the second half. However, UMHB tied the score on a jumper with 9:50 remaining to knot the score at 46, sparking six-straight points for the Crusaders to give the team a 54-50 lead with 9:08 to play.

From there the visitors couldn't get closer than one points of the lead. Chambers laid in a shot with nine seconds remaining to cut the score to 65-64. Steven Johunkin fouled Marlon Miller with seven seconds left and Miller hit the second free throw to give UMHB a two-point advantage.

McMurry called a timeout with 2.2 seconds left and designed a sideline play that found Chambers wide open under the hoop for a lay in. However, Kevin Neal made sure Chambers couldn't get the shot off and fouled him with 0.8 seconds left. Chambers' first attempt was off the back iron and Mary Hardin-Baylor moved to 10-3 in ASC competition and 13-3 overall.

McMurry fell to 10-6 overall and 8-4 in conference play and would be no worse than third place depending on Saturday's outcome between third-place Hardin-Simmons and fourth-place Concordia-Texas.

In the losing effort, Steven Jones had 19 points and 12 rebounds while Chambers finished with 15 and three respectively. McMurry suffered just 14 turnovers in the contest, but the Crusaders had just nine. Robert Moore had 20 points to lead UMHB while Miller added 19.

McMurry returns to the court Thursday at Kimbrell Arena in Abilene to play host to Schreiner at 7:30 p.m.