Box Score
Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team put together its best half of the season in the first half and the Cru never looked back in an 83-64 victory over Mississippi College Saturday afternoon in Belton. The UMHB men snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 7-5 overall and 5-3 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The Choctaws entered the week ranked 10
th in the nation by D3hoops.com, but Mississippi College lost for the second straight game to fall to 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the ASC.
The Cru dominated from the opening tip and jumped out to a 17-6 lead. The Choctaws would close to within 19-10, but that would be the last single-digit lead of the game for UMHB. The Cru led by as many as 26 points in the first half before settling for a 43-19 halftime lead. The lead would grow to as many as 32 points in the second half before the Choctaws cut into the lead with a late run against UMHB reserves.
Dean Pele led the Cru with 19 points and he also grabbed seven rebounds.
Zane Johnston had 13 points, Theo Ard scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and Rich Moore also reached double figures with 12 points for UMHB. Luther Suggs came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points for the Choctaws and Andre Thomas was the only other MC player in double figures with 12 points.
The Cru shot 44 per cent from the field and also out rebounded MC 53-30 in the victory. UMHB held the Choctaws to 37 per cent shooting from the field and just 3-21 from three-point range.
The UMHB men will host three games next week in the first full week of ASC West Division action. The Cru will host Concordia Texas for a 7:30 PM tip-off on Monday night before welcoming Sul Ross State to the Mayborn Campus Center for a 7:30 PM start on Thursday. UMHB will then close out the week with a 3:00 PM tip against Howard Payne University next Saturday.
