BELTON, Texas – The 2022 American Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Championship Tournament begins Thursday, as McMurry will play in the opening round at 12 p.m. against crosstown rival Hardin-Simmons.
The tournament will be hosted at the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton, Texas by Mary Hardin-Baylor – the top seed in the conference. Admission is free all tournament. Parking is available at the Mayborn Campus Center and across the street from the arena.
The eight-team tournament includes three rounds over three days. All four quarterfinal games will take place Thursday, followed by two semi-final games on Friday evening, then the championship final on Saturday at 6 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live video and live stats will be available for all games – click here
McMurry Athletics will be tweeting live updates during the game -- click here
The ASC will post all updates, including the schedule, on the championship homepage – click here
THE QUARTERFINALS
Game 1: #3 Hardin-Simmons (16-7) vs. #6 McMurry (9-14) – 12 p.m.
Game 2: #2 LeTourneau (20-4) vs. #7 Sul Ross State (10-15) – 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: #4 UT Dallas (15-8) vs. #5 East Texas Baptist (14-11) – 5 p.m.
Game 4: #1 Mary Hardin-Baylor (22-2) vs. #8 Concordia Texas (9-14) – 7:30 p.m.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
McMurry will be making its 14th ASC Tournament appearance in 2022. Thursday will also mark McMurry's second appearance in the tournament since returning to NCAA Division III a few years ago.The War Hawks last appeared in 2019, falling to eventual champion UT Dallas in the quarterfinal round.
McMurry has four ASC Championships since the tournament's formation in 1999 – winning in 2000, 2001, 2011 and 2012. The program owns a 4-2 record in championship games.
The program has also had 16 all-tournament selections and four MVPs.
PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS
McMurry hosted its first championship game in 2000, defeating Mississippi College by a final of 105-81 in Abilene. Only four teams made the tournament that season, as McMurry won the West Division and handily defeated Ozarks in the semifinal.
The program went back-to-back in 2001, repeating its route with wins over Ozarks and Mississippi College to bring the title back to Abilene. This tournament took place at MC in Clinton, Miss. McMurry took down the Choctaws on their home court, 76-71.
A decade went by before McMurry's next championship, as McMurry defeated Mississippi College, Hardin-Simmons and UMHB en route to its third tournament title. The War Hawks defeated the Cru 72-65 in the championship game, which was hosted by UT Dallas.
McMurry's last ASC championship in 2012 took place in Belton, as the War Hawks defeated Hardin-Simmons with an exciting 86-81 overtime victory. This was the program's last win before moving up to NCAA Division II.
THIS FEELS FAMILIAR
In McMurry's championship run a decade ago, the team was seeded third out of four teams in the West Division. This essentially equates to being a fifth or sixth seed in today's format, as McMurry crossed over to play the No. 2 seed in the East – East Texas Baptist. McMurry then had to face UMHB – the West Division's top seed – in the semifinal before taking down the Cowboys in the title game.
EX-TEAMMATES BECOME RIVALS
Former HSU teammates Zach Pickelman and Matt Brackett have been close friends for almost two decades, but will be coaching on opposite sides of the bench on Thursday. Pickelman is in his seventh season with the War Hawks, while Brackett is in his fifth season at his alma mater. The two were teammates from 2004-2007 and have remained friends since then. The two have never faced each other in tournament play.
SOPHOMORE STUDS
McMurry has had an ASC Freshman of the Year the last two seasons with CJ LeBlanc winning in 2020 and Michael Imariagbe in 2021. After taking last season's COVID year off, LeBlanc hit the ground running in 2022 and ranks among the league's Top 10 scorers. He averages 16.4 points per game. Meanwhile, Imariagbe averaged 14.7 PPG and ranks second in the ASC with 9.0 rebounds per game.
NO MINOR PLAYER
Senior Remy Minor has started every game along with LeBlanc and Imariagbe and leads the team with 33.0 minutes per game. He averages 14.1 points per game and leads the team with 78 assists. He is also shooting an even 86-100 at the charity stripe for 86.0 percent – the third best percentage in the ASC.
HIGH-SCORING GAMES
McMurry is averaging 86.0 points per game to rank third in the conference, but also allow the most points at 88.9 PPG, making for many high-scoring games this season. The War Hawks also lead the league in rebounding offense at 42.3 per game and are second in steals with 9.9 per game.
THE GAMES THAT NEVER END
McMurry has been to seven overtime periods so far this season – the most in any year in program history. Three of those five overtimes came in a thrilling 125-112 win at Howard Payne on Jan. 15. The previous high was five overtimes during the 1982-83 season.
WELL-ATTENDED
McMurry and Hardin-Simmons have the top attendance numbers in the ASC. For the season, HSU leads the league with 376 fans per game – regardless of venue – while McMurry follows closely in second at 298 per game. McMurry has highest road attendance with 317 per game. The two schools are also top four in home attendance with HSU at 510 per game and McM at 279 per game.
