Box Score ABILENE, Texas – The McMurry University men's basketball team gave its departing seniors a great going away present as the War Hawks defeated the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, 66-58, in the team's final game of the season. McM led by double digits for a majority of the game, before walking away with the eight-point victory.
 
The two teams went back-and-forth for the first four minutes of the game, with Lions taking a 6-4 advantage into the first media timeout. The two-point deficit would prove to be the only time in the contest that the War Hawks would trail.
 
With the game tied at 8-8, the War Hawks put together a 14-2 run over the next seven minutes to take the 22-10 advantage. Five points apiece by Antonio Bell and Connor Robinson fueled the run that allowed McM to take complete control of the remainder of the first half. The two programs would essentially trade baskets for the rest of the frame, and McMurry took an 11-point advantage into the break, 31-20.
 
In the first half, the War Hawks held the Lions to just eight-of-26 shooting from the field, while forcing 12 turnovers. Bell led McM in scoring, notching seven in the half.
 
In half number two, UAFS made things interesting quickly as three, three-point shots by Dijon Farr helped cut the McMurry lead to four points, 33-29, with just 2:05 off the clock in the half. However, over the next three minutes, Alfred Perez and Connor Robinson combined for nine-straight points to expand the lead back to double-figures, 42-29.
 
Over the rest of the contest, the lead would expand to as many as 16-points, 63-47, on another bucket by Robinson before the War Hawks would come away with the eight-point victory, 66-58.
 
For the game, Takoby Jackson made the most of his senior night, scoring a team-high, 16-points, while shooting 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Robinson finished with 14 points while Perez chipped in with 13. DJ Stennis and Bell finished with eight and seven points, respectively.
 
As a team, McMurry shot 71 percent from the charity stripe (22-31) and 46 percent from the field (21-45) all while holding the Heartland Conference's top scoring offense (UAFS came into the game scoring 76.8 points per game) to just 58 points and 35 percent shooting.
 
The War Hawks also won the rebounding battle, 36-32, and took advantage of 23 points off turnovers.
 
McM finishes the regular season with a record of 17-9, which includes a 9-7 record against opponents from the Heartland Conference.
 
Next up for the War Hawks is the National Christian College Athletic Association's Central Regional Tournament. All the action from Bartlesville, Oklahoma will begin on Thursday, March 7 and will go through Saturday, March 10. The War Hawks seed and first opponent have yet to be determined.