Box Score
Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men’s basketball team combined red-hot second-half shooting with a strong defensive effort as the Cru posted a 77-66 victory over Sul Ross State University Thursday night in Belton. The UMHB men improve to 9-5 overall and 7-3 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops the Lobos to 5-9 overall and 4-6 in the ASC on the year.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair with UMHB building an early five-point lead. Sul Ross would battle back for a 28-27 lead with 2:20 remaining, but the Cru closed the half with a 6-0 run for a 33-28 edge at the break and the Lobos would not lead again. UMHB would push the lead to nine points on several occasions early in the second half, but Sul Ross fought back to cut the lead to 48-45 with 9:48 left to play. The Cru would score the next five points, but the Lobos stormed back again and cut the lead to 59-58 with 3:52 to go. A Sterling Phillips free-throw and Theo Ard lay-in stretched it to 62-58, but Travis Johnson answered with a three-pointer for Sul Ross to make it 62-61 UMHB with 2:59 remaining. Ard would add a lay-up and the and one, Phillips hit two more free-throws and Dean Pele added a steal and coast-to-coast lay-in as the Cru opened up a 69-61 lead and the Lobos would not get closer than six points the rest of the way.
Pele finished with 14 points to lead a balanced UMHB scoring attack. Phillips added 11 points, five assists and five rebounds and Zane Johnston had 10 points, six assists and four boards for the Cru. Ervin Johnson chipped in nine points and a game-high nine rebounds off the bench for UMHB. Steven Johunkin topped the Lobos with 17 points and Johnson and Andy Hulsey added 14 points apiece.
UMHB shot 55 per cent from the field in the second half and finished at 50 per cent for the game. The Cru out rebounded the Lobos 45-28, forced 20 Sul Ross turnovers and held SRSU to 38 per cent shooting from the field.
The Cru will close out a five-game home stand with another ASC West Division showdown on Saturday. The UMHB men will host Howard Payne University for a 3:00 PM start at the Mayborn Campus Center.