ABILENE, Texas – The McMurry men's basketball team returned home from a six-game road trip in style, with a 76-68 win over the University of the Incarnate Word on Saturday at Kimbrell Arena.
 
 McMurry (6-2) got off to a fast start, running out to an 8-2 lead in the first three minutes. Three baskets by Kenny Williams, including a jumper at the 16:59 mark, helped the War Hawks jump out to the six-point advantage.
 
With the score cut to four, 8-4, McMurry went on a 12-4 run that was capped on a beautiful Antonio Bell-to-Williams alley-oop dunk that brought down the house and gave McM the 20-8 lead with 10:52 left in the half.
 
The War Hawks would then stretch their lead to the largest of the game when Connor Robinson hit a layup at the 5:34 mark. The basket gave McM a 29-14 lead.
 
In the last five minutes of the half, Incarnate Word mounted a furious comeback, outscoring the War Hawks 15-6. A three-pointer by Denzel Livingston as time expired in the half, cut the McMurry lead to six, 35-29.
 
In the first ten minutes of the second half, the Cardinals outscored McM, 15-9, to knot the score at 46-46, which was the contests' first tie. After being tied again, 48-48, Takoby Jackson broke the tie with a timely three-point shot to give McMurry the 51-48 advantage with 9:02 to play.
 
Incarnate Word would cut the War Hawks lead to two points three-more times in the contest, but every time, McMurry was up to the challenge. Jackson hit two more three-point shots over the last seven minutes, and Bell score eight points, with all coming from the free-throw line, in the last two minutes of play to preserve the 76-68 victory.
 
Offensively, McMurry was led by Williams' 22-points. He shot 11-17 from the field while also pulling down seven boards. Robinson collected his second double-double of the season, scoring a season-high 18-points while collecting 10 rebounds.
 
Jackson and Bell did most of their damage in the second half. With just a combined two points at halftime, Jackson finished the day with 11 points and Bell finished with 10.
 
As a team, McMurry out-rebounded the Cardinals, 37-24, which also included a 13-5 advantage on the offensive boards. The War Hawks also won the turnover battle, committing just 11 over the course of the contest.
 
Both Incarnate Word and the War Hawks shot 48 percent from the field, but McMurry held a 20-10 advantage in made free throws.
 
McM will be back in action on Tuesday, December 18, when they play host to Northern New Mexico College. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

Box Score