MARSHALL, TX – The McMurry War Hawks men's basketball team traveled to East Texas Baptist University on Friday night and delivered a thrilling 68-65 victory, securing the first win of the Matt Bolton head coaching era. After trailing by double digits in the first half, the War Hawks dominated the final frame to leave Ornelas Gymnasium with the victory.
The start of the season was a tough defensive battle, with the two teams trading punches early. McMurry managed to briefly take the lead near the midway point on a shot from JaRayl Peoples, but East Texas Baptist quickly countered with a powerful surge. The Tigers unleashed an 8-0 scoring run and capitalized on second-chance opportunities to build a significant cushion, stretching their lead to its largest margin of the game at 13 points (30-17) with just over five minutes remaining in the set.
McMurry's resilience shone through in the final minutes of the half. Cedrick Dodd provided crucial buckets, and timely free-throw attempts helped the War Hawks chip away at the deficit, cutting it to five points going into the break. While the shooting percentage was low early, the team's defensive tenacity kept them within striking distance, setting the stage for the dramatic second half.
The second half began with East Texas Baptist attempting to stifle the War Hawks' momentum, pushing their lead back up to nine points in the opening minutes. However, the McMurry offense found its rhythm, sparked by clutch shots and excellent ball control.
The turning point came midway through the set. Down 49-40, the War Hawks embarked on a massive scoring run fueled by timely three-point shooting from the bench, including a significant boost from Zack Rygg to cut the gap to just three. The War Hawks finally recaptured the lead at the 3:29 mark when Amari Leflore buried a three-pointer, making the score 58-57.
From there, it was a battle of wills. The lead changed hands several times in the final three minutes. With the score tied 64-64, Jalen Cherry made a pivotal defensive play, securing a steal that led directly to a go-ahead layup by Peoples with 1:12 left. Cedrick Dodd followed up with a critical free throw, and Peoples sealed the non-conference road win from the line in the final seconds, giving Coach Bolton his first career victory as a War Hawk.
