BROWNWOOD, Texas – After two tight contests against tough road opponents last week, the McMurry University men's basketball team heads on the road this week with a pair of pivotal American Southwest Conference games.

First, McMurry will face Howard Payne Thursday night, Jan. 14 in Brownwood. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. inside Brownwood Coliseum. On Saturday, the War Hawks head to Alpine, Texas where they will meet Sul Ross State at 3 p.m. at the Gallego Center.

Howard Payne will be limiting seating to 25% this season and will require mask wearing and the practice of safe social distancing.

Sul Ross will also have a limited capacity at 500 spectators with designated seats for the games on Saturday and will limit each scholar-athlete to four guests on the complimentary pass list. The Gallego Center will also require temperature checks prior to entry. Social distancing and mandatory mask policy will also be enforced. 

Live stats and live video will be available for both games.

FOLLOW ALONG
HPU: LIVE STATS l LIVE VIDEO
SRSU: LIVE STATS l LIVE VIDEO

RECORDS
McM: 0-6, 0-2 ASC
HPU: 0-6, 0-2 ASC
SRSU: 3-5, 1-2 ASC

NOTES
LAST TIME OUT – The War Hawks completed an East Texas road swing last week, taking on East Texas Baptist in Marshall last Thursday and LeTourneau in Longview last Saturday. McMurry fought two close battles as they dropped a heartbreaker against ETBU, 77-72, and a nail-biter to the end in overtime against LETU, 91-88.

Despite a pair of losses last week, McMurry fought back in the first half against ETBU after being down by 17 with eight minutes to go in the opening frame. The War Hawks went on a 24-8 run to pull within two at the break and carried that same momentum into the second half as they clawed their way into the lead at the 14:24 mark. Junior guard Jordan Sherman hit a clutch three pointer to tie the game near the 2:17 mark, leaving everyone at the edge of their seats as the last few minutes would be crucial. ETBU emerged victorious in the end as a series of fouls would tack on successful free throw opportunities for ETBU.

Two War Hawks finished with double-doubles. Junior post DJ Worrell registered 21 points and 12 rebounds while freshman Michael Imariagbe contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds. Both point totals were season highs.

LeTourneau, the defending American Southwest Conference champions, gave the War Hawks quite a run Saturday. With 10 lead changes and scoring being tied at the half as well as the end of regulation, McMurry fought hard to keep the quick two-point lead gained after the overtime tip. LETU answered by scoring the next six points and would remain in control until the end to earn their first conference win of the season.

Four War Hawks scored in double figures last Saturday, led by Imariagbe with a career-high 21 points and Worrell with 20. The duo went to work in the paint, racking up 48 of McMurry's points in the paint.

Imariagbe and Worrell also recorded double-doubles. Imariagbe set a new career best with 13 boards, while Worrell had 11.

Junior guard Remy Minor also proved to be a threat to the home standing YellowJackets with clutch efforts especially in the final minutes against LETU, finishing with 17 points, three steals and five assists. Minor registered a total of 40 minutes of play, leading the team this season in minutes on the floor.

SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS – Howard Payne owns an 0-6, 0-2 record heading into Thursday's matchup. The Yellow Jackets' last contest was against Louisiana College last Thursday where they fell to the Wildcats, 72-51. Despite falling behind midway in the first half, the Yellow Jackets closed the gap to end the half down by seven. LC would extend their lead in the second half, not allowing the Yellow Jackets to gain any momentum to the finish.

The Yellow Jackets were led by Evan Adkins who scored 12 points off the bench followed by Tyrell Thompson with 11 points. Jaylan Ballou contributed six boards, five assists and four steals.

SERIES HISTORY VS. HPU – One of McMurry's most storied rivals, HPU possesses an 86-80 advantage in the all-time series, dating back to the first matchup in the 1924-25 season. The last 10 matchups have favored the Yellow Jackets, 6-4. The last meeting between the two programs resulted in a one-point loss by the War Hawks in Brownwood. McMurry last defeated the Yellow Jackets on Jan. 9, 2020, a battle that went into overtime after Howard Payne trailed by 15 points in the second half of regulation. The War Hawks were able to emerge victorious with a 98-96 overtime final.

SCOUTING THE LOBOS – Sul Ross State currently holds a 3-5, 1-2 record heading into Saturday's matchup. The Lobos last faced Louisiana College last Saturday which resulted in a 79-73 loss to the Wildcats. The Lobos possessed a 10 point lead early in the second half but would not be able to hold off the Wildcats attack after they took the lead with 7:52 remaining.

The Lobos had three players in double figures. Reigning ASC West Division Player of the Year Tristen Licon posted 23 points, Logan Dixon recorded 17 and Julian Paredes followed up an outstanding shooting night against Belhaven with 13.

The loss against the Wildcats is the Lobos second straight conference loss this season.

SERIES HISTORY VS. SRSU – McMurry suffered a tough 73-50 loss to Sul Ross State in this year's season opener back in November. A second half cold streak by the War Hawks would result in a Lobos victory. Licon and Dixon led the Lobos in scoring.

The McMurry-Sul Ross series dates back to the 1923-24 season, when the first four matchups where played. The War Hawks own a 99-43 record in the series and have a 13-10 win margin within the last 13 years, despite the last 10 matchups favoring the Lobos 7-3.

PILING UP THE WINS – In program history, McMurry owns 99 wins against Sul Ross State – the most against any one opponent historically. The War Hawks also have 80 wins against Howard Payne – the third most against an opponent behind Austin College at 84 wins. A win Saturday would mark McMurry's first opponent it has beaten 100 times.

WHERE THE SEASON COUNTS – McMurry has played in two conference matchups thus far and are still in the hunt for their first conference win this season. A victory will also mark the first win of the 2020-2021 season. There are 16 official conference games scheduled for this season.

TOUGH SCHEDULING – McMurry has faced two of their toughest opponents on the ASC schedule. With East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau in the books, the War Hawks look to snag two wins on the road before returning to Kimbrell Arena for a two-game home stand beginning Jan. 21 against Concordia University Texas.

ALL-TIME RECORD – McMurry has played 2,249 games as a program, dating back to its first year as a college in 1923. The War Hawks hold a 1148-1101 all-time record for a 51.0 win percentage.