ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University's men's basketball team will get its chance to try to rock the American Southwest Conference standings, when the team plays host to West Division frontrunner University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday afternoon. Start time is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Kimbrell Arena.
 
UMHB (16-0, 12-0 ASC) not only sits atop the ASC West, but is currently the No. 6-ranked team in the nation by d3hoops.com in its latest national poll.
 
The War Hawks (11-4, 7-4 ASC) enter the game in fourth place in the ASC's West Division.
 
The Crusaders had a scare on Thursday at Hardin-Simmons, needing overtime to pull out a 75-73 win. It was the closest call of the year for UMHB, which has won its games by an average of 15.9 points per outing.
 
The Cru sports the ASC's fourth-ranked scorer in Marlon Miller, at 20.4 points per game. Miller also contributes an average of 3.8 rebounds per game to the UMHB cause. He has led his team in scoring in 14 of 16 contests.
 
Sterling Phillips has been good as gold for the Crusader's with a 10.2 p.p.g. average to go along with his 2.2 assists per game.
 
In all, the balanced UMHB squad has a total of nine individuals who average 5.0 points per game or better.
 
The Crusaders' rebounding is just as balanced with Greg Wiernas (8.2 r.p.g.) and Dorian Purnell (6.1 r.p.g.) spearheading the effort.
 
Head coach J.D. Isler's McMurry team is coming off of its most productive offensive effort of the year, a 111-79 win over Concordia-Texas on Thursday evening. It was McM's seventh game this season above 90 points.
 
Senior Steven Jones notched his sixth double-double of the year against Concordia-Texas. Jones skewered the Tornados' defense for game highs of 21 points and 12 boards on the night. He also had four steals. Those totals upped Jones' season averages to 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
 
Junior forward Dominick Walker is close behind Jones in rebounds at 9.1 caroms per contest.
 
McMurry backcourt men Jaden Isler and Bryce Hill average 13.1 p.p.g., apiece. Isler averages a healthy 5.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game, while Hill has been the War Hawks' top long-distance operator with 44 treys made.
 
Isler's assist total ranks him 22^nd in the nation among NCAA Division III players. Hill's average of 3.1 three-pointers per game is 23^rd in the latest national statistics.