KERRVILLE, Texas – McMurry University Men's Basketball made 27 free throws in the second half to outscore Schreiner University 55-44 and pick up its first win of the season Saturday, defeating the Mountaineers, 90-80, on the road.
Both forward Mike Williams Jr. and guard Khalil Butler recorded double-doubles in the win. Williams scored a team-high 18 points to go with 12 boards while Butler had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The War Hawks (1-4) trailed 36-35 at the break, and the teams traded the lead through the first seven minutes of the half. McM regained the lead on a free throw by senior forward Krishawn Terry at 50-49 and never looked back.
McM built up its lead on free throws and threes by Butler and freshman guard Cody LeBlanc. The lead grew to 10 at 66-56 on two more free throws by freshman guard Shaydon Campbell. The War Hawks went 27-for-from the charity stripe in the second half.
Schreiner closed the gap to 69-69, but senior guard Zacc Carter responded with a layup. That started a 10-0 run to give McMurry its largest lead at 11 points.
After another layup by Williams late in the game, the War Hawks converted seven free throws in the final two minutes to secure the win.
Both teams shot a number of free throws, as the teams combined for 65 attempts in the second half alone. McMurry finished 33-of-46 from the charity stripe while Schreiner went 33-for-39.
McM shot just 19.2 percent from distance and 36.1 percent from the field, but held the Mountaineers to just 30.2 percent.
The War Hawks held advantages on points in the paint and points off turnovers, outscoring the Mountaineers 34-20 and 26-17 in those categories, respectively. They also held a 58-45 advantage on the glass.
Joining Williams and Butler in double figures were Terry and senior guard Dedrick Berry Jr., who finished with 17 and 14 points, respectively. Berry and Terry also crashed the glass, resulting in eight and seven rebounds, respectively.
McMurry concludes its four-game road trip Tuesday at UT Permian Basin. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.
