Box Score
RICHARDSON, Texas – McMurry University advanced to its first American Southwest Conference championship game since 2003 with a 74-55 victory over Hardin-Simmons Saturday at the UTD Activity Center. The second half push where McMurry outscored the Cowboys 51-39 was the difference and McMurry advances to play Sunday at 2 p.m. for the chance at an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
After an atrocious offensive first half for both teams, McMurry held a narrow 24-16 advantage. HSU hit just 4 of 27 shots from the field in the first period while McMurry hit only 8 of 26. However, in the second half, McMurry began with a 16-4 run and hit 7 of its first 8 shots to begin the period. Then, McMurry finished with a 73 percent effort in the second half on 19 of 26 shooting.
“Our deensive effort was there the whole game, but in the second half we were able to turn defense into offensive runs. Having Steven [Jones] and Derick [Sumpter] back without foul trouble in the second half was good for our offensive rhythm,” said first-year McMurry head coach Matt Garnett. “We stayed with the plan and established rhythm, and it was good to continue to sustain defensive effort through the game.”
Sumpter scored all 18 of his points in the second half to lead a balanced scoring charge for McMurry after picking up two quick fouls in the first half to limit his action. The senior hit 7 of 12 shots, 3 of 7 shots from beyond the 3-point arc, and added two steals on the defensive side.
Teddy Chambers scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds,
Steven Johunkin had 13 points and
Jaden Isler added 11 points and four assists.
Terrance Booker hit a 3-pointer for the Cowboys with 19:38 left in the first half to give HSU a 3-0 lead. However, McMurry answered with eight-straight points and McMurry never trailed in the contest. In the second half, McMurry led by as many as 28 points at 70-42.
McMurry outscored the smaller HSU team 38-18 in the paint and won the rebounding battle 42-39. However, on the offensive glass, McMurry had 22 rebounds to HSU's nine, and McMurry created 21 second-chance points.
In the losing effort, the Cowboys had two players with nine points. Booker scored nine and John Derr had nine off the bench. HSU finished with just a 29 percent effort from the floor on 20 of 68 shooting. McMury beat HSU for the third time this season in as many meetings; McMurry took a win over the Cowboys Dec. 18 and Jan. 30.
The victory moved McMurry to 20-7 overall, and it marked the first 20-win season for McMurry since the 2006-07 season. The last time McMurry was in the ASC Championship game was in 2003 ending a streak of four consecutive games in the title match. McMurry has three ASC championships in school history coming in 1997, 2000 and 2001.
The game will be between the winner of Mary Hardin-Baylor and UT-Dallas at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Comets are the No. 1 seed from the east and will need to advance past UMHB for a chance to become the fifth-straight team to win the ASC Tournament as hosts.
In 2007 Mississippi College won the title in Clinton, Miss., In 2008 UMHB won it in Belton, In 2009 UTD took the crown in Richardson and UMHB won again in Belton in 2010.
Abilene fans can listen to the game on Fox Sports Radio 1560 AM KZQQ beginning at 1:45 p.m. while video streams can be watched on http://www.utdallas.edu/athletics/ASC/.
