Box Score Box Score
Photo Gallery
Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team finally put the game away in the final minutes as the Cru posted a 95-81 victory over Southwestern University Tuesday night in Belton. The UMHB men are now 1-0 to start the season. The loss drops the Pirates to 1-3 on the season.
The Cru would lead 46-40 after a see-saw first half that saw nine lead changes and two ties. UMHB started to pull away in the second half, opening up a 63-52 lead with 11:36 left. The Cru would still have an 11-point lead at 68-57 with 9:23 left to play, but the Pirates started to chip away. Nick Caputo's jumper would pull Southwestern to within five at 86-81 with 1:46 remaining. But UMHB scored the final nine points of the game on
Cory Meals' three-point play, a pair of baskets from
Sterling Phillips and
Dean Pele's acrobatic lay-up to close out the scoring.
Pele led the Cru with 19 points and Phillips finished with 15.
Sully Haywood came off the bench to score 12 points on 4-5 shooting from three-point range.
James Allen also reached double figures with 11 points for UMHB. Dorian Purnell had nine points and a team-best seven rebounds. The Cru shot 48 per cent from the field and went 10-24 from three-point range. UMHB also out rebounded Southwestern 36-30 in the victory.
Logan Hurley led Southwestern with 22 points and Caputo added 20. Robbie Hanley had 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds for the Pirates. Southwestern shot 49 per cent from the field and hit 9-19 from three-point range. The Pirates also turned the ball over 20 times.
The Cru will return to action with a 7:30 PM non-conference game at Austin College Friday night in Sherman. The UMHB men will then open American Southwest Conference play with a 7:30 PM tip-off at East Texas Baptist Monday night in Marshall.
