ABILENE, TEXAS – A frenetically-paced American Southwest Conference battle left fans inside Kimbrell Arena breathless Thursday, Dec. 10.

Visiting Sul Ross State University used a powerful full-court attack coupled with a yen for three-point shooting early in the contest to open what seemed to be an insurmountable 31-8 lead. Head coach Zach Pickelman's McMurry University team, displaying a never-say-die attitude, kept chipping away throughout and took an 81-77 lead with 3:24 remaining. As the partisan Maroon, Black, and White crowd reached a fever pitch; the Lobos used a 13-2 run to close the game for a 90-83 victory.

The bench play of freshman guard Elijah Lomas (San Antonio, Texas) proved a key to the excellent answer the War Hawks had to the sizeable first-half deficit. He posted 18 points, grabbed six boards, and picked up a pair of steals in 24 minutes of play. Sophomore forward/center T.J. Hilliard (New Orleans, Louisiana) led the scoring column with 25 points, nine rebounds, and two blocked shots. Senior guard Remy Minor (Chicago, Ill.) was the third War Hawks player in double figures with 11 points to go with six assists.

Senior guard Trey Nelson and senior forward Julian Paredes provided a formidable one-two punch for the Lobos. Nelson put up a game-high 25 points, including the final eight to break up an 83-83 tie, while also dishing out seven assists and registering seven boards. Paredes tallied 19 points, eight rebounds, and four steals.

McMurry, dipping to 1-7 overall and 1-2 in the conference, takes to the road Saturday, Dec. 10. Game time at Howard Payne University's Brownwood Coliseum in Brownwood, Texas, is 3 p.m.