MARSHALL, Texas – Behind a strong free throw performance, McMurry Men's Basketball was able to execute a memorable comeback, taking down East Texas Baptist 82-74 in American Southwest Conference action Thursday night in Marshall, Texas.

The War Hawks (3-4, 1-1 ASC) gritted their way to a second half lead and sealed their first conference win of the season by maximizing opportunities at the charity stripe in the final minutes of the game. The Tigers move to 2-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

With 1:47 remaining in regulation, the War Hawks evened the playing field off a breakaway layup by TJ Hilliard. The tally resulted in a successful and-one opportunity at the free throw line, giving McMurry the 74-73 lead.

The Tigers attempted to reclaim the lead with a free throw opportunity at the 1:32 mark, but McMurry's comeback efforts stood firm. With six made free throws in the final 90 seconds – five owned by Hilliard – the War Hawks were able to hold off the Tigers for the duration of the game.

McMurry outscored ETBU 50-36 in the second half, overcoming a 13-point deficit at 62-49 with 10:40 remaining. Back-to-back triples by Matt Pena sparked the comeback.

Tonight's win snaps a five-game losing streak against ETBU, a streak that dates back to December 3, 2016. McMurry last defeated ETBU by a 22-point margin before dropping the next five meetings with the Tigers.

McMurry finished 15-21 in free throws and shot 55.5 percent from behind the arc in the second half. ETBU shot 36.9 percent on field goals and went 4-20 in three pointers. Despite having a six point lead at the half, the Tigers failed to add enough scoring distance to halt the McMurry comeback.

A trio of sophomores in Hilliard, CJ LeBlanc and Michael Imariagbe lead the War Hawks in scoring with 18 points each. Hilliard added nine rebounds to his season high scoring performance, while LeBlanc hit four three-pointers and went 2-2 at the free throw line. Imariagbe snatched down 16 rebounds to finish with his fifth double-double of the year.

Remy Minor, Rob Charles and Pena all added eight points in the matchup. Minor added his season high three steals to boot.

The War Hawks finish out this conference road swing with a meeting against Belhaven this Saturday, Dec. 4 in Jackson, Mississippi. Game time is set for 3 p.m.